How to make
Afghan Mantu Dumplings with Beef
Last weekend was my parents 40th wedding anniversary. The have been like two peas in a pod all our lives. I have been married for 13 years and I appreciate and cherish the bond this time has created between us. I can only imagine what 40 years creates for a couple like my parents who have gone through so much together, leaving their normal happy lives in Afghanistan behind because of the war. In the meantime they have also raised four kids! The appreciation of their bond is bittersweet given the recent irrevocable damage my father’s illness has done to his ability to be his old self and what it must be like for my mother to have her best friend changed so.
In celebration of their anniversary we created a mantu day. My siblings, their partners and I filled 180 mantu dumplings and ate most of them for Sunday lunch with our parents. Usually mantu is served alongside rice and other dishes. We gave these little dumplings the attention they deserve at the table and made nothing else but a salad followed by anniversary cake! Needless to say, we suffered food coma! Here is the recipe for you to try at home!
This recipe makes 80 dumplings.
Ingredients:
800 grams lean beef mince
1 or 2 small green chilli according to your preferences, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves
8 TBSP Olive oil
2 tsp Turmeric
2 tsp Cumin
2 tsp Coriander powder
2 tsp black Pepper
Pinch of Salt
Water
3 large onions Wonton Skin pastry squares - need 80 sheets
1 cup split yellow peas washed well
3 TBSP tomato paste
Yogurt sauce
3 garlic cloves crushed
2 cups yogurt
1 TBSP dry mint leaves
1 sprig fresh rosemary (optional)
Oil topping
2 cloves garlic crushed
2 TBSP olive oil 1 TBSP dry mint
Method
Making the mince mixture
Weigh 180 grams of the meat mince and set aside.
Put the remaining mince in a separate bowl with the following ingredients; green chilli and crush two garlic cloves. Mix well.
Add 3 tablespoons oil to a heavy set pan and add the following ingredients: 1 teaspoon of turmeric, cumin, coriander powder, pepper and salt.
When the spices are aromatic, add one finely chopped onion with 2 tablespoons water and turn the heat to low. Cover with a lid and allow the onion to sweat until soft. Add the mince that you mixed with the garlic and chilli. Stir to ensure the mixture is well blended with the onions. Ensure all the moisture has dried up & the meat has browned well. Taste for salt and pepper, add if required.
Take off the heat. Very finely chop one of the remaining onions and add it to the cooked mince and mix well. Set aside to cool.
Filling the dumplings
When the mixture has cooled down, begin filling the pastry skins. Lay out a few squares of pastry on a bench. Wet the outer edges of the pasty squares with water. Drop approximately 1 teaspoon of cooked mince mixture on the centre of the pastry square. Take two opposite corners of each square and seal them together, next join the other two opposing corners together at the tips. It should look like a little parcel with filling inside. Continue until all the mince and pastry skins are finished. Put the dumplings into a steamer and steam for 3-5 minutes. Taste to ensure the dumplings skins are cooked through before you remove them. If not, cook longer depending on the type of steamer you use.
Making the Sauce
Place the yellow split peas in a microwave safe bowl, cover with water and plastic wrap. Cook in the microwave for 10-15 minutes on medium. Take out, rinse, and set aside. They should be softened but not broken down.
In a deep saucepan, add 5 tablespoons olive oil and 1 teaspoon each of cumin, coriander seeds, and turmeric, as well as the last large onion finely chopped with the remaining garlic cloves. When the onion is soft, add the mince that you had set aside. Make sure the meat is browned well. Add tomato paste.
Cook, stirring regularly until the mince has cooked through. Add the split peas and enough water to just cover the mixture. Simmer on low heat. Salt to taste and add more chopped fresh chilli, if you like it spicy. Keep adding water until the peas are cooked soft but hold their shape. When the split yellow peas are cooked, turn down the heat and simmer. Allow the moisture to thicken up so you are left with a lovely sauce. Set aside and keep warm.
Yogurt sauce
Take half the yogurt and put into a blender with all the ingredients. Blend until the herbs and garlic are completely broken down. Pour the mixture into a large bowl. Add the rest of the yogurt and mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Adding rosemary is my recipe, it isn’t traditional but the flavour it adds is amazing!
Arranging the dumplings and oil dressing
Once the dumpings and sauce is cooked. You are ready to serve. Spread the yogurt sauce on a large platter. Place dumplings on the yogurt sauce as one single layer. Add more yogurt on top of the dumplings. Spoon the sauce over the top to cover the dumplings.
Make the oil dressing by heating the oil and frying the garlic until soft brown, but not burnt. Add dry mint leaves and stir quickly. Pour over the top of the dish and serve immediately.
Afghan Mantu Dumplings with Beef
Last weekend was my parents 40th wedding anniversary. The have been like two peas in a pod all our lives. I have been married for 13 years and I appreciate and cherish the bond this time has created between us. I can only imagine what 40 years creates for a couple like my parents who have gone through so much together, leaving their normal happy lives in Afghanistan behind because of the war. In the meantime they have also raised four kids! The appreciation of their bond is bittersweet given the recent irrevocable damage my father’s illness has done to his ability to be his old self and what it must be like for my mother to have her best friend changed so.
In celebration of their anniversary we created a mantu day. My siblings, their partners and I filled 180 mantu dumplings and ate most of them for Sunday lunch with our parents. Usually mantu is served alongside rice and other dishes. We gave these little dumplings the attention they deserve at the table and made nothing else but a salad followed by anniversary cake! Needless to say, we suffered food coma! Here is the recipe for you to try at home!
This recipe makes 80 dumplings.
Ingredients:
800 grams lean beef mince
1 or 2 small green chilli according to your preferences, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves
8 TBSP Olive oil
2 tsp Turmeric
2 tsp Cumin
2 tsp Coriander powder
2 tsp black Pepper
Pinch of Salt
Water
3 large onions Wonton Skin pastry squares - need 80 sheets
1 cup split yellow peas washed well
3 TBSP tomato paste
Yogurt sauce
3 garlic cloves crushed
2 cups yogurt
1 TBSP dry mint leaves
1 sprig fresh rosemary (optional)
Oil topping
2 cloves garlic crushed
2 TBSP olive oil 1 TBSP dry mint
Method
Making the mince mixture
Weigh 180 grams of the meat mince and set aside.
Put the remaining mince in a separate bowl with the following ingredients; green chilli and crush two garlic cloves. Mix well.
Add 3 tablespoons oil to a heavy set pan and add the following ingredients: 1 teaspoon of turmeric, cumin, coriander powder, pepper and salt.
When the spices are aromatic, add one finely chopped onion with 2 tablespoons water and turn the heat to low. Cover with a lid and allow the onion to sweat until soft. Add the mince that you mixed with the garlic and chilli. Stir to ensure the mixture is well blended with the onions. Ensure all the moisture has dried up & the meat has browned well. Taste for salt and pepper, add if required.
Take off the heat. Very finely chop one of the remaining onions and add it to the cooked mince and mix well. Set aside to cool.
Filling the dumplings
When the mixture has cooled down, begin filling the pastry skins. Lay out a few squares of pastry on a bench. Wet the outer edges of the pasty squares with water. Drop approximately 1 teaspoon of cooked mince mixture on the centre of the pastry square. Take two opposite corners of each square and seal them together, next join the other two opposing corners together at the tips. It should look like a little parcel with filling inside. Continue until all the mince and pastry skins are finished. Put the dumplings into a steamer and steam for 3-5 minutes. Taste to ensure the dumplings skins are cooked through before you remove them. If not, cook longer depending on the type of steamer you use.
Making the Sauce
Place the yellow split peas in a microwave safe bowl, cover with water and plastic wrap. Cook in the microwave for 10-15 minutes on medium. Take out, rinse, and set aside. They should be softened but not broken down.
In a deep saucepan, add 5 tablespoons olive oil and 1 teaspoon each of cumin, coriander seeds, and turmeric, as well as the last large onion finely chopped with the remaining garlic cloves. When the onion is soft, add the mince that you had set aside. Make sure the meat is browned well. Add tomato paste.
Cook, stirring regularly until the mince has cooked through. Add the split peas and enough water to just cover the mixture. Simmer on low heat. Salt to taste and add more chopped fresh chilli, if you like it spicy. Keep adding water until the peas are cooked soft but hold their shape. When the split yellow peas are cooked, turn down the heat and simmer. Allow the moisture to thicken up so you are left with a lovely sauce. Set aside and keep warm.
Yogurt sauce
Take half the yogurt and put into a blender with all the ingredients. Blend until the herbs and garlic are completely broken down. Pour the mixture into a large bowl. Add the rest of the yogurt and mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Adding rosemary is my recipe, it isn’t traditional but the flavour it adds is amazing!
Arranging the dumplings and oil dressing
Once the dumpings and sauce is cooked. You are ready to serve. Spread the yogurt sauce on a large platter. Place dumplings on the yogurt sauce as one single layer. Add more yogurt on top of the dumplings. Spoon the sauce over the top to cover the dumplings.
Make the oil dressing by heating the oil and frying the garlic until soft brown, but not burnt. Add dry mint leaves and stir quickly. Pour over the top of the dish and serve immediately.
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