Potato Manty

Manty are eaten in Turkey (as tiny lamb-filled purses – recipe coming soon), in Korea (called mandoo there), and in Silk Road locations across Central Asia. This recipe is Kazakh, but could just as easily come from Kyrgyzstan, Bosnia or Afghanistan.

Thanks to the wonderful Eric Johnson (authorericjohnson.com), who is a trained chef, as well as a crafter of macabre tales, for testing this recipe. I am forever in his debt.

Potato Manty

First combine dry ingredients in mixing bowl. Then add eggs and water to the dry ingredients. Mix and knead until the dough is elastic and not tacky to the touch. (Flour amount may vary by plus or minus a tablespoon.) Let dough rest at least 20 minutes. The dough should be elastic.

The potato is merely the binder for this tasty onion dumpling. These are rib stickers, cooked Dungan-style if steamed and then fried in butter. They are slightly lighter, but still delicious, if only steamed. They may be formed into squares, half moons, moons, ovals or purses. If you choose to garnish with the Spicy Tomato Sauce, be sure to give yourself a couple hours of lead time.

Manty Filling:

2 pounds potatoes
1 stick butter (8 tablespoons)
Salt to taste
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Red pepper to taste, optional
4 large onions, diced small

Garnish Options:
4 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons butter
Spicy Tomato Sauce with Steamed Green Beans (see below)

Equipment Needed:
Dumpling Steamer (a metal vegetable steamer can also be used)

Directions:
While the dough rests, wash, peel, dice, boil and mash the potatoes. Season with salt, black and red peppers. Heat a pan with olive oil and butter, but don’t let the butter burn. Add the onions and cook until golden brown. Combine mashed potatoes and onions and let cool before filling the manty. Dollop one heaping tablespoon of filling onto the center of each four-inch square. Fold the corners towards the center and pinch to seal the seams. To cook, place manty in steamer and cook for 15-20 minutes. Garnish steamed manty with oil or melted butter or serve with a spicy tomato sauce and slightly steamed green beans. Yields 12 very large manty.

Easy Spicy Tomato Sauce
Ingredients:
1 small onion
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 small can of tomato paste (6 ounces)
2 small cans of diced tomatoes (14.5 ounces each)
2 cups water
Salt to taste

Directions:
Dice the onion, open the cans and heat the pan with one tablespoon each of butter and oil. Bloom the turmeric and cayenne. Be careful not burn the spices or the dish will be spoiled. Add the diced onion and stir it with a wooden spoon. When the onion is sweated, turn down the heat. Add the tomato paste and diced tomatoes. Add the water. After the sauce has started to form, season with salt to taste. Simmer for a couple hours.

Steamed Green Beans 

Ingredients:
½ pound green beans
Salt
Water

Equipment Needed:
Vegetable Steamer in a lidded pot

Directions:
Pour about an inch of water in the bottom of a pot. Add a dash of salt. Fit vegetable steamer into pot and cover with lid. Make sure water level is below the bottom of the steamer. Turn flame on high. Wash green beans and snip off ends and any ugly bits. Place in the pot and fit lid tightly over pot. Steam for seven minutes.

Cover the bottom of a shallow serving bowl with the spicy tomato sauce. Arrange five manty in the sauce so that they form a star shape with the corners meeting in the middle. Place a green bean between each manty like the spokes of a wheel. Dollop a tablespoon of plain thick Greek-style yogurt or sour cream in the center on the hub (optional).