Turkish Cheesy Manti Dumplings (Printable Version)

Delicate dumplings filled with creamy cheese, topped with garlic yogurt and spiced butter sauce.

# Needed Ingredients:

→ Dough

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
03 - 1 large egg
04 - 1/2 cup water, more as needed

→ Cheese Filling

05 - 1 cup Turkish white cheese or feta, crumbled
06 - 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
07 - 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
08 - 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

→ Yogurt Sauce

09 - 1 1/2 cups plain Greek yogurt
10 - 1 garlic clove, minced
11 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Spiced Butter

12 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
13 - 1 teaspoon paprika
14 - 1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or chili flakes

# Steps:

01 - Combine flour and salt in a large bowl. Create a well in the center, add egg and water, then mix and knead until smooth and elastic. Cover and let rest for 20 minutes.
02 - Mix crumbled Turkish white cheese or feta, ricotta, parsley, and black pepper until thoroughly combined.
03 - Combine Greek yogurt, minced garlic, and salt. Stir until smooth and set aside.
04 - Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to about 2 millimeters thickness. Cut into 1.5-inch (4 cm) squares.
05 - Place approximately 1/2 teaspoon of cheese filling in the center of each square, then pinch corners together to form small dumplings.
06 - Boil salted water in a large pot. Cook dumplings in batches for 5 to 7 minutes until they float and become tender. Drain well.
07 - Melt unsalted butter in a small pan. Stir in paprika and Aleppo pepper. Cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
08 - Arrange dumplings on plates, spoon yogurt sauce over them, then drizzle with spiced butter. Garnish with extra parsley if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Each dumpling is a perfect bite—crispy from the spiced butter, creamy inside, cooling against the tangy yogurt sauce.
  • It's impressive enough to serve guests but forgiving enough that imperfect dumplings taste just as good.
  • The whole meal comes together in under an hour, and most of that is just waiting for the dough to rest.
02 -
  • Overseal your dumplings and the filling won't cook through; underseal them and they burst in the water—pinch just firmly enough that the corners fuse together.
  • Don't skip the rest period for the dough, and don't skip the cooling time after rolling; cold dough is much easier to work with and your squares will hold their shape better.
03 -
  • Add a pinch of sumac or dried mint on top after plating for brightness; it sounds optional but it changes everything.
  • If your dough feels sticky after mixing, let it rest for 10 minutes before kneading—sometimes the flour just needs time to hydrate, not more flour.
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