The classic. Small dumplings filled with halal beef, with yogurt and tomato sauce on top.

The dough

Flour, water, salt. Nothing else. Rolled out to 0.5–0.6 millimeters — thin enough for the filling to show through, thick enough to hold up in the pot. Then cut into squares.

The filling

Halal beef. Plus a spice blend of our own, refined over many rounds — the recipe stays with us. Onion is in there, as granules rather than pieces. Garlic isn't: it only comes in if you choose it with your yogurt. Every square gets its portion, then the four corners are gathered in the middle — small enough that several fit on one spoon.

What goes on top

Yogurt first, then the sauce — and you decide which. Classic here means yogurt and tomato sauce. That's how people know Manti, and that's how it tastes the first time.

But there's a second version we like at least as much: no yogurt, double pesto rosso and the spice blend on top. The yogurt's tang disappears and the dough comes forward — Manti eaten like pasta. If you want to go all the way, add melted butter with sweet paprika; the sweetness settles against the heat of the pesto, and a good plate becomes a very good one.

Two toppings are worth it. Sucuk for anyone who wants more meat — the spicy beef sausage releases fat and warmth as soon as it hits the hot dough. Parsley goes the other way and takes the heaviness out of the beef without covering anything.

The sauces come packed separately, not poured over the Manti — so the edge of the dough stays firm instead of disappearing into the sauce. Plus a spice blend of our own with every portion.

Why this way

Strictly speaking, Manti is pasta: dough, filling, sauce, cooked in water. What sets it apart from ravioli and tortellini is the size — and the sauce that traditionally goes with them. We keep the pieces small because small pieces have more surface: more contact with the sauce, more dough edge per bite.

That's exactly why pesto rosso is on the menu. If Manti is pasta, there's no reason to tie it to a single sauce.

What goes with it

Which drink goes with halal beef Manti? Elephant Bay Cola 330 ml — the carbonation clears the palate between bites. For something fruitier, Elephant Bay Ice Tea Peach 330 ml. As a combo, The Original comes with a drink from the whole Elephant Bay range.

AllergensCereals containing gluten (wheat)With optional extras: Milk (yogurt sauce, pesto rosso sauce, melted butter, shepherd's cheese), Egg (pesto rosso sauce), Soybeans (vegan yogurt sauce), Nuts (walnuts, cashew nuts in pesto rosso sauce), Cereals containing gluten (wheat in fried onions, pastırma)

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