Turkish Cheesy Manti Delight (Printable)

Delicate bite-sized dumplings filled with creamy cheese and served with garlic yogurt and spiced butter.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dough

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
03 - 1 large egg
04 - 1/2 cup water, plus additional as needed

→ Cheese Filling

05 - 1 cup crumbled Turkish white cheese or feta
06 - 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
07 - 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
08 - 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

→ Yogurt Sauce

09 - 1 1/2 cups plain Greek yogurt
10 - 1 garlic clove, minced
11 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Spiced Butter

12 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
13 - 1 teaspoon paprika
14 - 1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or chili flakes

# How-To Steps:

01 - In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Create a well in the center and add egg and water. Mix and knead until smooth and elastic, adding extra water if necessary. Cover and allow to rest for 20 minutes.
02 - Mix crumbled Turkish white cheese or feta, ricotta, chopped parsley, and black pepper in a bowl until evenly combined.
03 - Combine Greek yogurt, minced garlic, and salt. Stir until smooth and set aside.
04 - On a lightly floured surface, roll the rested dough very thin, approximately 1/16 inch thick. Cut into 1 1/2-inch squares.
05 - Place about 1/2 teaspoon of cheese filling at the center of each square. Pinch corners to seal and form small dumplings.
06 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the dumplings in batches for 5 to 7 minutes, or until they float and become tender. Drain thoroughly.
07 - Melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Stir in paprika and Aleppo pepper; cook for 30 seconds until aromatic.
08 - Arrange the dumplings on serving plates. Spoon yogurt sauce over them and drizzle with the spiced butter. Optionally, garnish with extra parsley.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • These tender little pockets are addictive—the cheese stays creamy while the dough gets just chewy enough to hold up to the tangy yogurt.
  • Once you master the folding (which takes about three dumplings, honestly), you can make a whole batch while barely paying attention.
  • The spiced butter finish transforms something simple into something that feels special, like you've done something impressive without actually trying that hard.
02 -
  • The dough needs to be thin—like, almost see-through thin—or the manti will feel doughy and heavy instead of delicate. If it keeps shrinking back, let it rest another few minutes.
  • Don't overload the filling; those tiny 1/2 teaspoon amounts seem stingy, but they're perfect. Too much filling and the edges won't seal, and you'll have leaky dumplings that lose their cheese into the water.
  • The yogurt sauce absolutely must be cold, and the butter absolutely must be warm—that temperature contrast is what makes the whole dish work together.
03 -
  • If you're nervous about rolling the dough thin, do it in batches instead of trying to roll the whole thing at once—smaller pieces are easier to control, and the dough won't dry out as fast.
  • Pinch the corners together tightly; loose seals mean cheese leaks into the water, and your dumplings become hollow and sad.
  • Serve immediately—manti are best when the dumplings still have a little give and the yogurt hasn't warmed up.
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