Turkish Manti or Mantu

A few months ago I made Turkish Mantu or Manti.  

It started as a means to find inspirational ways of using my spices such as Advieh, Baharat, Sumac, Za'atar and ingredients such as Maftoul and Freekeh, but like any curious cook I had been lured and enticed by other recipes.  Some of you will have already seen my Iranian Pearl Barley Soup known as Ash-e Jo or Ash-e-Jow, Ghorme Sabzi, Etsis Turlu and more recently a Syrian Mezze. 

It was my first time making Turkish Manti or Mantu which are almond shaped dumplings filled with spicy oniony minced meat, of course my version is made with vegan/vegetarian soy mincemeat. However, I have since learned that you can also use mashed chickpeas spiced with chilli flakes and cumin as a delicious filling too and the dumplings do not necessarily have to be almond shaped either. 

Manti is a derivation of the word mantu which means dumpling.  Please see here to read and learn more about Manti or Mantu dumplings and its popularity in other countries including Armenia and Russia. 

Apparently making Mantu dumplings from scratch is a labour of love as you make the dough from scratch and then stuff it with the filling, however a Turkish woman told me that sometimes out of convenience she had used wonton or dumpling wrappers.   I guess its the way some people from the Indian subcontinent and diaspora have started using filo pastry for samosa.  So I cheated as I had some wonton dumpling wrappers in the freezer.  I have to admit, it looks pretty, but I have a feeling this dish would have been better with homemade dough.  I learn for next time as I know this is by no way authentic. 

On tasting it reminded me a little of wonton pot stickers - see here.  One part steamed and the crispy, but open - unsealed - so that you could see the filling.  Its also smothered in homemade tomato sauce, the kind you would use for lasagne - again my version is by no mean authentic. 

I'd make this again, with perhaps another filling like vegetables and serve it with some greens as well as make the pastry from scratch.

I think this recipe is suitable for vegans, but I did not check if the wonton wrappers were made with egg, so cannot say for definite...sorry.

Turkish Menemen for Sunday Breakfast

I mentioned before that my husband confiscated my library card as I was failing to return books back and having ridiculous amounts to pay in  overdue fine fees.  Silly of me really, as we don't have money to throw away.  Anyway, a couple of months back he pitied me and returned it to me.  The local library doesn't have a large selection of vegetarian and vegan cookbooks, generally mainstream celebrity chef stuff, still I like to visit it and flick through whatever it has on its shelves.  

I know I really need to start reading proper books, maybe some fiction, rather than just hoarding cookbooks, so I ask any of you if you have any good reads that you would recommend, something that would engross me and take my mind of the what is happening or not happening around me.  Until then, I will continue to bring home a cookbook or two and most recently it was The Modern Pantry by Anna Hansen.  And guess what, I actually cooked from it!  There are a number of dishes that intrigued me in relation to world flavour combinations, but also the skill in making them that I would like to try for myself, but the one dish that I was tempted to try immediately was Turkish Menemen minus the Sumac Yogurt.  Turksih Menemen is also known to some as Turkish one pan eggs and pepper dish; or in other parts of the middle east Shakshuka or Moroccan Baked Eggs.  The first time I encountered it was in a 1980s vegetarian cookbook by British vegetarian food writer Rose Elliot, as mentioned in this recent blog post . 

Broad bean pilau with mint

This dish is inspired by a Turkish recipe called baklali ve tereotu pilavi (broad bean pilau with dill), except I don’t have any dill. Over the past few weeks, I have been boasting at how wonderful my herb plots are, but the dill I was growing has just withered away by the heat of the sun, so I have had to substitute the dill with mint.

It was still a tasty dish, the flavours of both the mint and the broad beans came through.

Broad bean pilau with mint
Serves 2 – 3
Ingredients
175g long grain rice, washed thoroughly under cold water and drained
250g shelled broad beans
6 tablespoons of butter (for vegan alternative, the butter can be substituted with olive oil)
2 tablespoons of fresh mint, minced finely
250ml water or vegetable stock
Salt and pepper for seasoning
Method
In a large pot, add butter and melt, then add mint and rice and swirl to coat in buttery juices. Cook for a couple of minutes. Then pour in the water or stock, seasoned with a little salt if necessary. Stir and then cover the pan and cook over low heat for 30 – 35 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the liquid absorbed. Turn of the heat.

Remove the lid, and cover the pan with a clean tea towel, replace the lid and leave it to ‘rest’ for 10 minutes.

Fluff up the pilau with a fork, and serve with natural yogurt or soured cream.