Mantu
Mantu are Afghani savoury mince and onion filled dumplings and are served here with a minty yoghurt sauce and a spicy lentil sauce.
Ingredients
For the dough
- 450g/1lb plain flour
- 1 tsp salt
For the filling
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 340驳/11戮辞锄 mince (beef, lamb or plant-based)
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- 陆 tsp ground turmeric
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the tomato and lentil sauce
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 陆 onion, diced
- 6-8 tbsp tomato pur茅e
- 1鈦8 tsp ground turmeric
- 录 tsp chilli powder
- 录 tsp ground cumin
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 tsp chana dal (yellow split peas), washed and soaked overnight
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the yoghurt and mint sauce
- 280g/10oz plain yoghurt
- 1 tbsp dried mint
- 1 garlic clove, finely minced
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve
Method
To make the dough, sift the flour and salt into a large bowl. Slowly mix in 225ml/8fl oz (or as much water as required), until a stiff dough is formed. Knead on a clean work surface for 5鈥10 minutes, until the dough is elastic and shiny. Cover with a damp cloth and set aside for about 1 hour.
To make the filling, heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the mince. Once the mince turns brown, add the onion and some salt. Cook the onion until softened. Add the spices and garlic and cook for a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper and toss in the coriander. Set aside and leave to cool.
Divide the dough into four small balls and roll out each ball to a thickness of 1.5mm. Cut into 10cm/4in squares and, into each square, place 1 heaped teaspoon of the mince mixture. Take two opposite corners of the dough and bring the corners together to join in the centre, nipping together firmly between your fingers. Use a little bit of water on each side to ensure the corners stick and then bring together the other two corners in the same manner. Note that the mantu should not be entirely closed, as the steam has to be penetrate and cook the filling! Steam the mantu in a metal or bamboo steamer until the dumpling shells becomes translucent and almost clear.
To make the tomato and lentil sauce, heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium鈥揾igh heat and fry the onion. Add some salt and, once the onions turn translucent, add the tomato pur茅e. Allow the onions to cook down and caramelise.
Add the spices and garlic, then pour in 200ml/7fl oz water and bring to a simmer. Add the chana dal to the tomato sauce or boil it separately until soft 鈥 about 15鈥20 minutes. (The dal takes longer to cook in the tomato sauce, so I would recommend quickly boiling it in a small saucepan separately and then adding it to the tomato sauce). Season with salt and pepper.
To make the yoghurt sauce, combine the yoghurt, mint and garlic in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
To serve, add a layer of the yoghurt sauce to a serving dish, then add the mantu. Top with more yoghurt sauce and the tomato and lentil sauce. Drizzle over a little bit of olive oil, garnish with dried mint and serve.
Recipe Tips
If you don鈥檛 want to make the dough, buy ready-made wonton wrappers instead.
