Mantu

Mantu is a Tajik dumpling of minced lamb and onion, wrapped in thin dough and steamed. It is also made in Uzbekistan, and in Tajik the name is written Мантӯ.

Mantu belongs to the family of steamed, filled dumplings found across Central Asia, and it is usually eaten as a main course. The filling is mostly lamb, so the meat carries most of the flavour, and the cook seasons it with cumin and black pepper. Diners often add a spoon of sour cream or tomato sauce.

What it really is

Wheat flour is mixed into a plain dough and rolled thin. Each round is filled with minced lamb and onion, seasoned with cumin and black pepper, and pinched closed into a parcel. The dumplings are steamed until the dough is cooked through and the filling is hot and juicy. The dough is plain, so the taste comes from the filling.

How it's served

• Hot, straight from the steamer, with several dumplings to a portion.
• With sour cream or tomato sauce, either spooned over or served alongside.
• As a main course, not a snack, with bread or salad if the kitchen offers them.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the filling as minced lamb and onion, so guests know the meat.
• Flag wheat, which is in the dough.
• If sour cream is served, flag milk. Name the sauce that comes with it, sour cream or tomato, since the two differ.
• State how many pieces make one portion.