This Uzbek Manti Steamed Dumplings Recipe (Манты) is one of the many recipes that reminds me of my childhood. A staple across Central Asia and Russia (Kazakstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan…) perfect to meal prep, freeze and pull out for an easy midweek dinner. Or make Lazy Manti rolled up!
Are Manti Russian? No. I search for Russian Manti (Russische Manti) because when you look on Google, you usually find the Turkish recipe. If you’re Slavic, you might be looking for this Uzbek Manti recipe, which is popular in Russia. Manti are a recipe that you prepare ahead of time, and place into the freezer for an easy meal later. Not much different than preparing Pelmeni or Vareniki.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Authentic Taste – made the way my parents and grandparents made with Meat, Onion and Pumpkin – plus steaming makes them healthy
Central Asian Comfort Food – a hearty and meaty dumpling that fills you up, perfect on a cold day when you crave comfort food
Family Activity – everyone helps. Love eating Manti? Better learn to love making Manti! A whole family affair, many hands make light work from grandparents to children, goes faster!
Make Ahead – prepare on trays, freeze them and place into Ziploc bags. Such and easy dinner to make in the steamer
Manti with Pumpkin
I love this version of Manti, as it’s very juicy with Pumpkin and has a great flavor. Quite often, Uzbek Manti made with only Chopped Beef/Lamb and Onion, but adding Pumpkin is tastier in my opinion!
You want to use a sweet Pumpkin for Manti, the sweeter the better. My mom went digging through the pile of pumpkins in the store to find the sweetest Pumpkin. I have no idea how she knew, but the Pumpkin we used was perfect. It’s best to finely chop the Pumpkin into tiny pieces, but that takes so long. We just used a food processor, but don’t turn them into mush, leave some chunky small pieces.
Ingredients
Dough – Flour, Egg, Oil, Salt and Water
Meat – Chopped Beef or Ground Beef (can use Lamb)
Pumpkin – finely chopped
Onion – diced like Pumpkin
Seasoning – Salt and Pepper
Vegetable Oil
Water
How to Make Uzbek Manti
Prepare Dough – In a bowl, mix together the flour salt and water until dough forms. Transfer to a work surface and knead the dough until smooth, about 5 minutes Cover with cling wrap and rest dough for 1 hour.
Prepare Filling – Dice pumpkin into small cubes (can use a food processor to pulse Pumpkin). Finely dice Onions. Using your hands, mix together Meat, Pumpkin, Onion, Salt, Pepper, Oil and Water until combined. Set aside.
Roll Dough – using a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a thin layer (about ⅛”). Alternatively, roll a piece of dough through a Kitchen-Aid Pasta Roller (or a hand pasta roller) on setting 1.
Cut Dough Circles – Use a large metal can or a drinking glass for cutting the shape of the dough circles. We used a Metal Can which has a 4 inch (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.
Shape Uzbek Manti – place a generous tablespoon of meat filling into the circle piece of dough. Be 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.
Freeze – place on a baking tray and put in the freezer until frozen solid. Put in Ziploc bags until ready to steam (or you can eat them fresh).
Steam -bring water in your Steamer (Mantavarka) to a boil. Spread oil on the steamer to prevent sticking. Place Manti in the steamer trays put over the water. Steam for about 40 minutes, until the meat is cooked.
Serve – Serve with Sour Cream and fresh Dill, or Lazadhzan, or with Ketchup.
Manti Have Different Shapes
Yes, that is true. Not all Manti have the same shape like dumplings. These came in different shapes and sizes. I have 2 favorite styles that we use. We always grew up eating the centre pinch Manti, as pictured in the main photo. Put about a 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. It’s kind of similar to making Piroshki.
The other way we make it, I call them the star shaped pillow Manti. Put about a 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 kind of looks like a star shaped pillow.
There is yet more ways to fold Manti, as if this wasn’t enough! This last method doesn’t use circles as the dough, but squares. If you roll out the dough by hand, cut it uniformly into about 4″ squares. Put about a tablespoon of meat mixture into the square piece of dough, careful not to touch the sides of the dough or it won’t stick shut. Pinch 2 opposite corners together at the centre, and again with the other corners, all meeting at the middle. Seal to pinch the dough shut. it will look a bit like a pyramid Manti. To complete the shape, just pinch together 2 corners of the dumpling, which will make a shape of a circle on the outer edge of the Manti. Repeat on the other side.
The whole family can help make the Uzbek Manti, everyone gathered around the table, pinching the pillows of dough. They come in many different shapes, from Star shapes, fancy Roses shaped, Oval, Square, Round, and all look different depending on how you pinch them shut.
Manti Filling Variations
Chopped Meat Manti – the original version uses Chopped Meat, not Ground Beef or Lamb. You’ll taste the difference but it is time consuming to hand chop meat.
Lamb Manti – classic version made with Chopped Lamb, mixed with Onions and Black Pepper.
Potato Manti – add shredded or diced Potato (a great budget buster)
Cabbage Manti – add some shredded Cabbage to you
Chicken
Don’t amazing with
The kids keep asking, can we eat Manti today? But I’m still slowly rationing until we can make more. It’s a labor of love, the perfect meal prep dinner that you can enjoy for many meals to come. A taste of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Central Asia that everyone will love. Bon Appetit! Приятного аппетита!
Uzbek Manti (Манты)
Uzbek Manti are steamed dumplings made with ground beef and pumpkin. Popular across Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Delicious with sour cream, perfect to meal prep, Central Asian comfort food
5 from 7 votes
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Prep Time:
2hours hours
Cook Time:
30minutes minutes
Total Time:
2 hours 30 minutes
Course: Dinner Cuisine: Central Asian, Kazakh, Russian, UzbekKeyword: Kazakh Manti, Manti, Russische Manti, Uzbek Manti
Equipment
food processor optional
Multi Level Steamer Mantavarka
Tray for freezing
Rolling Pin or Pasta Roller
Ziploc Bags
4 inch Metal Can or Cookie Ring
Ingredients
For the dough
5 cups Flour all purpose
1 tablespoon Oil
1 teaspoon Salt
1 Egg
1½ cups Water
For the filling
3-4 large Onions
1½ lbs (750g) Pumpkin
1½ lbs (750g) Ground Beef or Lamb (mixed)
1 tablespoon Salt
½ teaspoon Black Pepper
½ cup Oil
¾ cup Water
Cook Mode
Prevent your screen from going dark
Instructions
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 ⅛”). 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 Metal Can which has a 4 inch /(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 ½” apart from each other. Some use butter, but I generously sprayed oil.
Bring water in your Steamer (mantavarka) to a boil. Place the Steamer Trays over the water and steam Manti for about 40 minutes, until the meat is cooked.
Serve with sour cream (smetana). Wow, so yummy!😋
