Manti

Description
It is known with the same name in many parts of Anatolia. This is a dish which has originated in the Central Asia and has survived as a very popular dish to our days. It is eaten as a single course at lunch or dinner. Depending on choice, it is either served with its cooking liquid or drained. The left over liquid is used for making soup. In Bolu region yogurt-tomato sauce is replaced with a hard cheese (kes) - walnut sauce. ¼ cup grinded kes is mixed with 1 cup crushed walnuts and sprinkled over the drained manti with browned butter sprinkled on the top. It is eaten with dried fruit paste (pestil) or pickles. In some regions the manti over which garlic yogurt is poured, is sprinkled with a red pepper - melted butter mixture.



Ingredients

 * flour - 5 cups (550g)
 * salt - 3 tablespoons (36g)
 * eggs - 2 (100g)
 * water - 10 2/3 cups (2125g)
 * onion - 2 small size (100g)
 * parsley - 1/3 bunch (20g)
 * black pepper - ½ teaspoon (1g)
 * ground meat - 1 ½ cups (250g)
 * tomato - 1 large (200g)
 * margarine - 6 tablespoons (60g)
 * red pepper - ½ teaspoon (1g)
 * garlic - 6 cloves (18g)
 * yogurt - 3 cups (660g)

Directions
Sift flour into a large dish and set aside 1/3 cup. Add one tablespoon salt to the remaining flour, mix and make hole in the center. Blend in the eggs, gradually add 2/3 cup water and make a stiff dough. Knead for 7-8 minutes and divide into three balls. Cover with a damp cloth and let stand for 10 minutes. Peel the onions, wash and chop finely. Wash the parsley, separate the leaves and chop finely. Add the onion, parsley, ½ tablespoon salt and the black pepper to the ground meat and mix. Sprinkle with flour and roll out one of the dough balls until 1 millimeter thick. Cut it into 2 cm squares, place about half a teaspoon of the filling at the center of each square and bring the four corners together at the top, press and seal. Process the remaining dough balls in the same way.

Place the remaining water and the salt in a pan and bring to boil. Add the little dough bundles (manti) and cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Wash the tomato and grind into another saucepan, add margarine and simmer for about 5 minutes, add the red pepper. Pele, wash and crush the garlic and mix into the yogurt. While serving, pour the garlic yogurt over the manti and then sprinkle with the tomato sauce.