Probably it is not the best season to post this as it is sea-sun-vacation-time for many people. However Crispy Dumplings – çıtır manti – is so irresistible I could not refrain myself from posting, after enjoying it so much today.
I always used to prepare Turkish mantı with the boiling method, however ever since I prepared them crispy, nobody in the household wants to go back to boiling.
I know preparing the dumplings requires plenty of time, but you might find ready made ones either fresh or frozen, you can choose to use them too. So I will skip the part about preparing the dumplings in this post. If you want to go ahead and prepare the dumplings yourself please click on the Turkish Dumplings Recipe, here.
The only part that is different about the previous recipe is how you cook the dumplings. There is no boiling instead you will have to fry the mantı. If you will use frozen dumplings, you do not need to de-frost them, as they are small and they easily cook, even in the middle.
Start with putting dumplings in a skillet in a single layer to make sure they get cooked enough.
As soon as the bottom parts are brownish, remove from the heat and place a plate on top. Place your palm on top of the plate and flip upside down. This way you will now have all the dumplings on the plate with the brownish sides on top.
It might be a good idea to do this flipping while you are in front of the sink, some times the oil spills and you would not want to make a mess. If you are worried about burning your hand on the plate you can use a table cloth, but it is not really necessary.
Now, gently slide the flipped dumplings with the cooked sides on top back to the skillet to cook the bottoms. As soon as brownish again also on the bottom. You are ready to serve and garnish.
The only problem with frying is that you cannot serve more than 2 people at the same time. So if you are keen about serving everyone at the same time you might want to use several skillets or use the oven for frying. In case of using the oven first melt the butter on the stove together with the olive oil and sprinkle the oven tray, than line up the dumplings and again on top of the dumplings sprinkle the same oil mixture. Bake at a high temperature such as 220° Celsius until brownish on all sides.
Garnish is totally up to you, the traditional or should I say – common garnish used among Turks is a plain yogurt with garlic and tomato sauce on top and not to forget the dry mint flakes and red pepper flakes.
I hope you try and enjoy. Really delicious.
Crispy Dumplings
Ingredients
Dough
- 500 grams flour
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 200 millilitres water
Filling
- 200 grams ground meat, beef
- 1 onion grated
- 10 stalks parsley (optional) chopped
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch ground black pepper
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
Yogurt Garnish
- 500 grams plain yogurt
- 5 garlic cloves crushed
- 1 pinch salt (optional
Tomato Sause
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tomatoes grated
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 50 millilitres water
- 1 garlic clove crushed
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
Additional Spices to Garnish
- 1 pinch dry mint flakes
- 1 pinch cummin
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- 1 pinch sumac
To fry (for each serving)
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon butter
Instructions
Dumplings
- Add almost all the flour – spare about a glass-full – into a large mixing bowl. Make a hole in the middle to add the egg, water and salt.
- Knead either with your hands or a processor until you obtain a stiff dough.
- Set aside the dough, covering it with a clean kitchen towel for at least 10 minutes. Always keep dough covered with a cloth when you are not using/handling it.
- Sprinkle your workspace with some flour. Make small, walnut sized balls out of the main dough and sprinkle each with flour. Spread each one out with a rolling pin to achieve a thickness about 1-2 millimetres.
- Cut each sheet to small squares of 2 centimetres.
- Put small amounts of filling on each suqare.
- First fold one corner somewhat diagonally.
- Then turn it to the other side. While putting your finger in the middle, stick the other facing two corners to each other.
- Continue untill all the material is finished. While you are doing this, put the little bundles on a tray, making sure they do not touch each other and stick.
- Make sure you stick the corners to each other. You can try different shapes or invent your own shape.
Filling
- Filling does not need cooking. Just mix well all the filling ingredients as if you are preparing meatballs.
Yogurt Garnish
- Just mix all the yogurt garnish ingredients until you have a creamy texture.
Tomato Sauce
- Slightly warm a saucepan. Add the olive oil.
- Add the grated tomato. If not available you can choose to use 2 tablespoons of tomato paste or canned chopped tomatoes.
- Add all the other tomato garnish ingredients. Cook until well combined.
Frying
- Warm a skillet. Add the olive oil and butter. Melt over medium heat. Make sure the butter does not burn.
- Add dumplings enough to serve 1 dish.
- Once brownish on the bottom.
- Place a plate on top.
- Put you palm on the plate and flip it over.
- Then slide slowly all the dumplings back to the skillet.
- Fry again until slightly brownish.
- When ready transfer the dumplings to your serving dish.
- Garnish first with yogurt, then with tomato sauce.
- Sprinkle with garnish spices as desired.
- Serve quickly while still warm.