I have been wanting to cook some manti for a while, but I was kind of feeling lazy. In the end I had to wait for an order, and I cooked some extra for myself.

Manti basically Turkish dumplings stuffed with meat. They are boiled and served with some of its juices, topped with garlic yogurt and a butter sauce. On top, you add some mint and red pepper and it’s ready to go!

Manti is so popular and important in Turkish cuisine that there are restaurants that serve it only. And there is a good reason for that, actually. It is such a labor intensive dish that you do not want to have a chef in your restaurant spending all her/his day cooking it. But it definitely is a labor of love - and we do love our manti.