Name: Armenian Manti
Prep time: 2 h
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 2 h 20 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Armenian
Ingredients: For the dough: 2 cups all-purpose flour; 1/2 cup water; 1 egg; 1/2 tsp salt; For the filling: 250g ground lamb; 1 small onion, finely grated; 1/2 tsp black pepper; 1/2 tsp ground allspice; 3/4 tsp salt; 1 tbsp vegetable oil for baking pan; For serving: 2 cups chicken broth, warmed; 1 cup plain full-fat yogurt; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1/2 tsp dried mint

Tiny open-topped baked Armenian dumplings, each smaller than a walnut, crisped in the oven then served in a garlicky yogurt broth — among the most labor-intensive and rewarding dishes in the Armenian canon.

The Cultural Story

Armenian manti are not the steamed Central Asian parcels that share their name. They are something completely different: tiny open-topped boats of dough, each no bigger than a large grape, filled with a small amount of spiced lamb, baked in the oven until crispy and golden brown, then served in a bowl with warm chicken broth and a generous spoonful of garlic-spiked yogurt ladled over the top. The combination of crispy baked dough, savory lamb, cooling tangy yogurt, and warm rich broth is one of the great flavor experiences in Armenian cuisine. Making manti is an act of devotion. The dough is rolled thin, cut into tiny squares (3-4cm), each one filled, each one formed into its little boat by pinching the sides together while leaving the top open. A pan of manti might contain two hundred individual pieces. This is grandmother food — made on special days when there is time and hands to help. In Armenian diaspora communities, manti-making sessions are social events, entire afternoons given over to rolling and pinching while people talk. The finished, raw manti can be frozen on the pan and transferred to bags, so the labor is rewarded many times over.

Ingredients

For the dough: 2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup water
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
For the filling: 250g ground lamb
1 small onion, finely grated
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp ground allspice
3/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp vegetable oil for baking pan
For serving: 2 cups chicken broth, warmed
1 cup plain full-fat yogurt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dried mint

Instructions

1Make dough: combine flour and salt. Beat egg into water and add to flour. Knead until a smooth firm dough forms, about 8 minutes. Rest covered for 30 minutes.
2Make filling: combine ground lamb, grated onion, pepper, allspice, and salt. Mix well.
3Roll dough very thin (1-2mm). Cut into 3-4cm squares.
4To form manti: place a small pinch of filling (about 1/4 teaspoon) in the center of each square. Pinch the two opposite corners together at the top, then pinch the other two corners — you get a little open-topped boat. The filling should be visible at the top.
5Oil a baking pan. Pack the manti snugly together on the pan.
6Bake at 200C (400F) for 15-20 minutes until the dough is golden and crispy, with slightly darker edges. They should be crunchy.
7Mix garlic into yogurt and season with salt. Warm the chicken broth separately.
8To serve: place a portion of crispy manti in a deep bowl. Ladle warm broth over them. Top generously with the garlic yogurt. Sprinkle dried mint over the top.

🌍

Get weekly recipes from a new culture

One email a week — a new dish, its story, and the culture behind it. Free forever.

You're in! 🎉 First edition next week.

Cook this with the full experience

Join FlavorBridge to explore authentic recipes from cultures around the world — with comments, ratings, and the stories behind every dish.

Open Interactive Recipe →