Manty From Kazakhstan Recipes

MANTY SOUP FROM KAZAKHSTAN AND UZBEKISTAN

Steps:

• Make manty as in the "Manty" recipe, but make them half the size, and do not cook them.
• Place peas, rice, salt, and pepper in a pot. Boil, and simmer 30 minutes. Fry onions until golden. Add tomato, tomato paste, manty, potato cubes, cover with water, and simmer 45 minutes or until potato is tender.
• Add this to the bean and rice mixture. Then add 2 cups water, dill and yogurt. Stir until hot but not boiling. Check for seasonings and serve. Technically, Uzbek manty would omit the bay leaves.

MANTI - STEAMED DUMPLINGS (Манты)

Steps:

• In a chopper or food processor, pulse the pumpkin and onion separately, not too finely, still in small chunks. Alternatively, cut into small cubed pieces. Mix together with the meat, salt, pepper, oil and water, using your hands, until combined. Set aside.
• Mix dough ingredients together and knead on the counter for about 5 minutes, until dough it's a smooth ball. Let the dough rest for half and hour and give it a good knead again for a few minutes. Cover with a bowl and let it rest for at least 1 more hour.
• Cut dough into pieces. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a thin layer (about 1/8"). It's much easier to use a pasta roller, or I use a KitchenAid Mixmaster pasta roller attachment. Take the cut piece of dough, roughly roll with a rolling pin until it's able to be rolled through the pasta maker. First time, I rolled it on a thicker setting #1, then follow through with a thinner setting #2, which gets you to the desired thickness. Sprinkle flour on the pasta pieces to prevent them from sticking to the table.
• Use a large can or a glass for cutting the shape of the dough circles. We used a Cadbury's Hot Chocolate Can which has a 4"/10cm diameter. Cut circles with the can, combine the off cuts into a ball, knead and roll out again. This process always easier with 2 people. One rolling, one cutting, then making manti together.
• There are many ways to shape manti, here are my 2 favorites. Put about a generous tablespoon of meat mixture into the circle piece of dough, careful for the meat not to touch the sides of the dough or it won't stick shut. Pinch and close the opposite sides of the dough together (corner to corner) until you have a little pinched dough pocket. Place on a tray and put in the freezer until frozen solid. Put in ziploc bags until ready to steam (or you can eat them fresh as in the next step).
• Put about a generous tablespoon of meat mixture into the circle piece of dough, careful not to touch the sides of the dough or it won't stick shut. Pinch the middle of the dough together in the centre. Pinch the adjacent sides together, meeting in the centre, pinching all edges of the dough closed. It's going to kind of look like a star shaped pillow. Place on a greased steamer disks, about 1/2" apart from each other. Some use butter, but I generously sprayed oil.
• Bring water in your mantavarka (steamer) to a boil. Place the steamer trays over the water and steam manti for about 30-40 minutes, until the meat is cooked.
• Serve with Sour Cream and dill, or Lazadhzan, or with ketchup.

ZHANYSHPA FROM KAZAKHSTAN

Steps:

• Mix well, serve in tea cups.

HOMEMADE MANTI (TRADITIONAL TURKISH DUMPLINGS)

Steps:

• Combine the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the eggs and water, mixing well with your hands. Add more water, if needed, to form a soft dough. Cover and set aside for at least 30 minutes.
• Shred the onions and place them in a colander or sieve set over a bowl; drain the juice and discard. Combine the onion, ground beef, salt, and pepper; mix the meat well with a spoon until mashed.
• Divide the dough into two portions and lightly flour a work surface. Keep one piece of dough covered while you roll out the second portion into a rectangle, rolling the dough as thin as you can. Cut the rectangle into 2-inch squares with a knife or pastry wheel.
• Place about 2 teaspoons of the meat filling in the center of each square. Seal the dumplings by gathering the edges of the dough and pinching them together at the top to form a bundle. Transfer the finished manti to a floured plate, and sprinkle more flour over the manti to prevent sticking. Repeat with the second piece of dough.
• Heat the oil and red pepper flakes in a small skillet over low heat just until the pepper flakes have started to color the oil; don't let them burn. Remove from the heat and keep warm. Stir the minced garlic into the yogurt and set aside.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat, and cook the manti until the filling is no longer pink, and the dough is tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain well. Divide the manti among four plates. Spoon the yogurt sauce over the manti and drizzle each serving with the hot pepper oil.

ZHENT FROM KAZAKHSTAN

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients, form into a square, place in refrigerator for 2 hours.

KUYRDAK FROM KAZAKHSTAN

Steps:

• Cut meat into serving sized pieces and fry with chopped onions. Make balls with bread dough. Add broth, bread dough, spice mix, chopped tomatoes, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then stew about an hour or until tender.
• Meanwhile, fry garlic and spring onions until golden, then add all other sauce ingredients except yogurt and fry another minute or so. Set aside.
• When ready to serve Kuyrdak, add yogurt to sauce and stir well. Remove bay leaves, spoon meat onto a bed of rice and serve sauce on the side, as people will prefer different amounts.
• Variation: Skip the yogurt and oil. Do not cook greens, just sprinkle them over the Kuyrdak. This is how it is served when yogurt is not available.