Please check out the ingredients for our next Saturday’s Manti Mania event, run by Nouritza Matossian and Tatiana der Avedissian.
Here is a shopping list from Nouritza, who learned how to make manti from her grandmother Hadjigul Nersessian.
To make the Garnish:
1/2 pint of stock
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 pint Greek yogurt
1/2 pint tomato passata
1tsp Sumach
(from Greek or Middle Eastern grocers is essential)
Hot Cayenne pepper if liked
Ingredients for the Pasta:
1 lb plain flour
(For Gluten-free, use buckwheat with a mixture of other gluten free flours and bind with egg)
1/2 pint water
Pinch of salt
1 Tablespoon cooking oil
For the Filling:
1lb minced beef or lamb
2 medium onions
Salt and black pepper
Directions
Combine the flour, water, salt and oil, and knead well to make a smooth dough.
Mix the minced meat with the onions, salt and pepper. Roll out one third of the dough to the thickness of a 10p coin (20mm).
Cut into squares 1½ inches then sprinkle generously with flour. Take a square and a dab ¼ tsp of meat filling in the centre.
Take two corners in your left thumb and forefinger and two in the right and lift and pinch round the meat to make a boat, then press downwards to flatten the bottom. Repeat.
Put the boats into a large, shallow, circular ovenproof dish which you have oiled, arranging them in even circles. Sprinkle the boats with cooking coil and bake at 160 (325) for 20 minutes until meat is rosy.
Beat together the yoghurt and crushed garlic; warm through gently.
Dribble thinly over the boats. Sprinkle with sumach. Serve hot with Tomato sauce.
Heat the olive oil and add the puree and water. Let it simmer and reduce a little. serve warm with some yoghurt dribbled over the surface.
To make the Tomato sauce:
1 tbsp Olive oil
2 tbsp tomato puree
½ pint water
Images: Courtesy of Nourtiza Matossian, her personal archives and from Memories of Armenia article, published in Country Homes & Interiors magazine, March 1989