Skip to content
FriendsPantry

Afghan

Mantu

Non-vegetarian

منتو · Mantu

Steamed dumplings filled with onion-rich spiced beef, served under garlic yogurt, a tomato-lentil sauce and a dusting of dried mint.

Mantu is an Afghan dumpling dish from Afghanistan, ready in about 1 hour 30 minutes and made with wonton / dumpling wrappers, ground beef and greek yogurt. It serves 4 and is rated intermediate to cook.

Start cooking

No licensed photograph of this dish yet.

Prep
45 min
Cook
45 min
Total
1 h 30 min
Serves
4
Level
Intermediate
Calories
695

Plus 2 hours soaking the split peas.

Ingredients

4 servings

For the dumplings

For the sauce

For the yogurt

To finish

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Mix the beef with the finely chopped onion (opens in a new tab), garlic (opens in a new tab), coriander, pepper (opens in a new tab) and salt until evenly combined. Some cooks brown the filling first; raw filling gives juicier dumplings.

    • 5 min

    Food safety: Wash hands after handling raw meat.

  2. Step 2

    Put a heaped teaspoon of filling in the centre of each wrapper, bring two opposite corners together, then pinch the other corners up to make a parcel. Arrange on an oiled steamer (opens in a new tab) tray.

  3. Step 3

    Steam over boiling water for 20–25 minutes until the filling is cooked through.

    Food safety: Cut one open to check the meat is no longer pink.

  4. Step 4

    Start the sauce as soon as the filling is mixed, so it is ready with the dumplings: fry the chopped onion (opens in a new tab) in the oil until golden, add the garlic (opens in a new tab), tomato paste (opens in a new tab) and cayenne, then the drained split peas, water and salt. Simmer until the peas are soft but mostly whole and the sauce is thick, about 40 minutes; add a splash of water if it dries out.

    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  5. Step 5

    Mix the yogurt with garlic (opens in a new tab) and salt. Spread half on a platter, arrange the mantu on top, spoon over the remaining yogurt and the lentil sauce, and sprinkle with dried mint (opens in a new tab) and chilli flakes (opens in a new tab).

    • 3 min
    Fresh herbs scattered over a finished dish
    How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
Afghanistan · Commonly attributedPart of the wider Central Asian manti/mantu family; this saucing is distinctly Afghan.More food from Afghanistan
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Dumplings · Main courses
Cooking method
Steamed, Simmered
Taste
savoury, tangy, garlicky, herby
Diet
No nut ingredients · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · High-protein
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Festive & celebration · Freezer-friendly
Cook more with
Wonton / dumpling wrappers · Ground beef · Greek yogurt · Onion · Garlic · Ground coriander
Techniques
Boiling · Simmering · Steaming · Knife skills

Allergens

  • Contains: Milkfrom greek yogurt
  • Contains: Eggsfrom wonton / dumpling wrappers
  • Contains: Wheatfrom wonton / dumpling wrappers
  • Contains: Glutenfrom wonton / dumpling wrappers

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

695 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 441 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 22%
  • Carbohydrate 36%
  • Fat 42%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy695 kcal158 kcal
Protein39 g8.8 g
Carbohydrate61.9 g14 g
Net carbohydrate54.3 g12.3 g
Sugars——
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre7.6 g1.7 g
Fat32.2 g7.3 g
Saturated fat9 g2 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol90 mg20 mg
Sodium1348 mg306 mg
Salt equivalent3.4 g0.8 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
861 mg
Calcium
162 mg
Iron
6.2 mg
Magnesium
69 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
19 µg
Vitamin C
9 mg
Vitamin D
—
Vitamin B12
2.9 µg
Folate (DFE)
114 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: red chilli flakes.
  • Dried split peas (yellow or green): Raw green split peas (FDC 172428); yellow and green split peas are nutritionally near-identical.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Freeze uncooked mantu on a tray, then bag them; steam from frozen for 30 minutes.

Common mistakes

  • Letting the steamer boil dry — check the water level halfway through.

Serve with

  • Serve as a main course with Afghan naan and a salad.

Storage

  • Cooked mantu keep 2 days refrigerated.

Reheating

  • Re-steam for 5–8 minutes.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

The body of the dish

For the sauce

Used in steps 1, 2, 4, 5

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

You might also like