Manti (Russian dumplings)

Craving delicious manti, those comforting, traditional Russian dumplings?

These little pockets are packed with juicy, seasoned ground meat and served in an insanely flavorful sauce.

They’re absolutely perfect for a cozy family dinner or cooking up with friends.

Trust me, these homemade dumplings are surprisingly simple to make and deliver serious restaurant-quality flavor in every single bite.

In this easy step-by-step recipe, I’ll show you how quick and simple it is to make mouthwatering homemade manti from scratch with minimal effort.

Why You’ll Love These Manti:

• Little dough pockets stuffed with juicy, perfectly seasoned ground meat wrapped in tender dough.
• The ultimate choice for a quick, stress-free weeknight dinner.
• Bite-sized delights that are perfect for cozy family meals or hosting friends.

My Top Tips for Success

Make sure to roll out the dough thin so your manti turn out perfectly delicate and tender.

Use a blend of ground meats for the absolute best depth of flavor.

Lightly brush the dumplings with a little oil before cooking so they don’t stick together.

Can I Make These Ahead of Time?

Yes! You can easily assemble these dumplings ahead of time and freeze them.

Just keep in mind that cooking them straight from frozen will add a couple of extra minutes to the cook time.

Delicious Variations

Instead of plain ground beef, feel free to use a blend of ground beef and pork, or even ground lamb for a rich, traditional twist.

Feel free to mix things up with different sauces—a quick garlic-yogurt sauce is so delicious here!

What to Serve with Manti

Manti pair wonderfully with a simple, crisp green salad.

Serve them with a dollop of plain yogurt or sour cream for a bright, refreshing touch.

Ingredients You’ll Need for Manti

For the Dough:

• 200 g (approx. 7 oz) water
• 400 g (approx. 14 oz) all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt

For the Filling:

• 500 g (approx. 17.5 oz) ground meat (ground beef or a pork/beef blend)
• 250 g (approx. 9 oz) yellow onions
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper

For Cooking:

• 700 g (approx. 24.5 oz) water

For the Sauce:

• 200 g (approx. 7 oz) mushrooms (like cremini or button)
• 20 g (approx. 0.5 oz) olive oil
• 1 heaping tbsp mild Ajvar (roasted red pepper spread)
• 1 (14-oz) can diced tomatoes (400 g (approx. 14 oz))
• 100 g (approx. 3.5 oz) heavy cream
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp sugar
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

Note: You’ll find the exact measurements and step-by-step instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

How to Make Manti

Making the Dough:

To make the dough, add all ingredients to the mixing bowl and knead 3 min / Dough mode.

Shape the dough into a ball, cover it, and let it rest for 30 to 60 minutes (or even longer).

Resting the dough allows the gluten to relax and develop, giving your dough that perfect elasticity and structure.

This makes the dough super easy to roll out later on.

How to Make the Filling:

While the dough rests, let’s whip up the filling!

Peel and quarter the onions, then pop them into the mixing bowl. Chop for 5 sec / speed 5, scrape down the sides with the spatula, and repeat 1–2 more times until the onions are finely chopped.

Add the ground meat, season with salt and pepper, and mix for 1 min / Dough Mode.

Pro Tip: Don’t dump the ground meat into the mixing bowl in one big block—break it up slightly with your hands first!

How to Make the Sauce:

Now we’re ready to move on to the sauce!

Give the mixing bowl a quick rinse. Clean the mushrooms, trim off the stem ends, and slice them up.

Add the sliced mushrooms to the mixing bowl along with the oil and ajvar, then sauté for 7 min / 100°C (210°F) / Reverse / Gentle Stir.

Next, add the tomatoes, heavy cream, bay leaf, sugar, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 12 min / 100°C (210°F) / Reverse / Gentle Stir.

Transfer the finished sauce to a saucepan and reheat it right before serving.

Assembly:

On a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll the dough out thinly into a large rectangle. Cut it into squares (about 2.5 x 2.5 inches / 6 x 6 cm).

Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the meat filling onto the center of each square. Then pinch the manti closed as shown in the photos:

Pinch the opposite corners of the square together in the center to form a little pouch.

Next, take the open ends on the left and right sides and pinch those tightly together as well.

This creates a neatly sealed dumpling that holds all that delicious filling safely inside.

Next, brush the Varoma® dish and Varoma® tray lightly with sunflower oil (so the dumplings don’t stick) and arrange your folded manti inside.

Give the mixing bowl a quick rinse and fill it with 700 g (approx. 24.5 oz) of water. Set the Varoma® dish and Varoma® tray in place, cover with the lid, and cook the manti for 30 min / Varoma® / Speed 2.

Serve warm with the sauce!

Pro Tip: Instead of the sauce, you can also serve manti simply with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of freshly cracked black pepper. That’s another super traditional way to enjoy this dish!

Enjoy!

Note: You’ll find the full list of ingredients and step-by-step instructions further down in the recipe card.

The listed prep and cook times are an average estimate.

I hope you have so much fun making this recipe!

If you loved this quick and easy manti recipe, you might also like my cozy recipe for Borscht! 🙂

Best,
Christoph
P.S. Never want to miss a recipe? Come follow along on Pinterest or Instagram! ❣

Did you give this recipe a try?
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