Recipes Abroad

Mantu Recipe

Mantu are Afghan steamed dumplings filled with spiced meat and onions, then topped with garlicky yogurt and a tomato–lentil sauce. They’re tender, savory, and aromatic, often served at gatherings and special occasions, with layers of flavor from herbs, warm spices, and tangy yogurt. If you’re curious how a simple dumpling came to represent celebration, hospitality, and trade routes across Central and South Asia, take a moment to read more about the history of mantu and how it traveled to Afghanistan—knowing that story makes every bite even more meaningful.

Ingredients

Dough (about 40–50 dumplings)

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup warm water (a bit more if needed)
  • 1 tbsp neutral oil (optional, for softer dough)

Meat filling

  • 1 lb ground beef or lamb
  • 2 cups very finely diced onion
  • 2–3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1/4 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp chili powder (optional, to taste)
  • 2–3 tbsp chopped cilantro or parsley
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • 1–2 tbsp oil for cooking

Yogurt sauce

  • 1 cup plain yogurt
  • 1–2 cloves garlic, very finely minced or crushed
  • 1–2 tbsp dried or fresh mint, crushed/chopped
  • Salt to taste
  • A few tablespoons water, as needed to thin

Tomato–lentil sauce

  • 1/4 cup finely diced onion
  • 1–2 tbsp oil
  • 2 tsp tomato paste
  • 2 small tomatoes, finely chopped (or about 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes)
  • 2–3 tbsp yellow split peas or chana dal, soaked at least 1 hour
  • 1/4 tsp turmeric
  • 1/4 tsp chili powder (optional)
  • 1/4–1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • Water as needed for simmering

Step 1 – Make the dough

  1. In a bowl, combine flour and salt.
  2. Add warm water gradually, mixing until a rough dough forms.
  3. Knead on a lightly floured surface for 8–10 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
  4. Rub with a little oil, cover well, and rest for 30 minutes.

Step 2 – Make the meat filling

  1. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat, add the ground meat, and cook until no longer pink, breaking it up.
  2. Add diced onions and garlic; cook until the onions soften and excess moisture mostly evaporates.
  3. Stir in cumin, coriander, turmeric, chili powder (if using), salt, and pepper; cook 1–2 minutes more.
  4. Turn off the heat, mix in cilantro or parsley, taste, and adjust seasoning.
  5. Let the filling cool completely before shaping dumplings.

Step 3 – Roll and cut the wrappers

  1. Divide the rested dough into 4 equal pieces; keep pieces covered.
  2. Working with one piece at a time, roll it out on a floured surface as thin as you can (about 1–2 mm).
  3. Cut into 2–2.5 inch squares (or circles if you prefer using a cutter).
  4. Keep cut wrappers covered with a towel or plastic so they don’t dry out.

Step 4 – Fill and shape the mantu

  1. Place one wrapper on your work surface and add about 1 teaspoon of filling in the center.
  2. Lightly moisten the edges with water.
  3. Bring opposite corners together over the filling and pinch, then pinch the other corners to form a sealed little pouch (any tightly sealed dumpling shape is fine).
  4. Repeat with remaining dough and filling, keeping shaped dumplings covered.

Step 5 – Steam the mantu

  1. Prepare a steamer and lightly oil the tray/basket so the dumplings don’t stick.
  2. Arrange mantu in a single layer with a bit of space between them.
  3. Steam over boiling water for about 10–12 minutes, until the wrappers are translucent and the meat is cooked through.

Step 6 – Yogurt sauce

  1. In a bowl, whisk together yogurt, garlic, mint, and salt.
  2. Add a little water as needed to make it spoonable but still thick enough to coat the dumplings.
  3. Chill in the fridge until serving time.

Step 7 – Tomato–lentil sauce

  1. In a small pot, heat oil and sauté diced onion until soft and lightly golden.
  2. Stir in tomato paste and cook 1 minute to remove raw taste.
  3. Add chopped tomatoes, turmeric, chili powder (if using), cumin, salt, and pepper; cook a few minutes until the tomatoes break down.
  4. Add soaked split peas/chana dal and enough water to cover them by about 1/2 inch.
  5. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender and the sauce is thick but still spoonable; add water if it gets too dry.
  6. Adjust salt and spices to taste.

Step 8 – Assemble and serve

  1. On a serving platter, spread a thin layer of yogurt sauce.
  2. Place the steamed mantu on top in a single or slightly overlapping layer.
  3. Spoon tomato–lentil sauce over the dumplings.
  4. Drizzle more yogurt sauce on top and garnish with extra mint or chopped herbs if you like.

Tips & tricks

  • Rest the dough well so it rolls thinner and tears less; 30 minutes covered makes it softer and easier to work with.
  • Roll the dough very thin (about 1–2 mm); thick wrappers turn heavy and can overpower the filling.
  • Let the filling cool completely before shaping so steam doesn’t soften and tear the dough as you seal.
  • Use just about 1 teaspoon of filling per wrapper; overfilling makes them burst while steaming.
  • Seal tightly and press out air pockets so dumplings don’t open or waterlog in the steamer.
  • Lightly oil or line the steamer (oil spray, parchment with holes, or cabbage leaves) to prevent sticking.
  • Arrange mantu in a single layer with space between them so they don’t fuse together as they steam.
  • Steam just until the wrappers look translucent and the meat is cooked through (about 10–15 minutes) to keep them tender.
  • Make ahead by forming the dumplings, freezing them in a single layer until firm, then storing in a bag and steaming from frozen.
  • Keep sauces separate until serving so the dumplings stay intact and don’t get soggy, especially for leftovers or make-ahead.

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