About
“Food is not just nourishment; it is a reflection of culture, tradition, and the spirit of our people.”Nazarbayev’s words hit home when you sit down in Kazakhstan and someone hands you a platter of manti — steamed dumplings that feel like they’ve been carried across generations, across mountains, across the wide and unforgiving steppe.
Kazakh manti aren’t delicate little jewels. They’re honest, substantial, and built with the same practical poetry that shaped nomadic life. Meat — usually lamb or beef — mixed with onions, herbs, maybe pumpkin if the season allows, wrapped in thin dough and steamed until the whole thing becomes a soft, fragrant pocket of survival. These dumplings were born from movement. When your ancestors lived on horseback and crossed landscapes that swallowed lesser people whole, you needed food that traveled well. Manti were the perfect answer — a portable ration packed with everything you needed to keep going.
But if manti were once about endurance, today they’re about community. Making them is never a solo act. The table is usually crowded — grandmothers, cousins, neighbors — rolling dough, shaping dumplings, trading stories in between laughs. It’s slow, repetitive work, the kind that binds people together in a way no ceremony ever could.
The fillings shift depending on where you’re standing. In sheep country, lamb rules. In regions where pumpkins grow fat and sweet, you’ll find bright orange filling tucked inside. Each version carries a sense of place — the grasslands, the herds, the long winters, the stubborn pride of a people who have always held onto their traditions, even when the world tried to pull them apart.
When the steaming platters hit the table, it’s never just dinner. It’s hospitality in its purest form. Weddings, holidays, big gatherings — manti always show up, feeding crowds and reminding everyone that heritage isn’t preserved in museums. It’s preserved in kitchens.
Modern Kazakhstan plays with the recipe now and then — new fillings, new shapes — but the soul stays the same. Thin dough, honest ingredients, steam rising like a blessing.
A bite of manti tastes like the steppe itself: vast, resilient, timeless. Food born from necessity, kept alive by tradition, and shared with the kind of generosity you only find in cultures shaped by open land and long journeys.
In the end, manti isn’t just a dumpling. It’s a story — warm, filling, and built to last.
Samp is meant to be simple and nourishing. Its texture can be adjusted easily: add more water for a looser porridge or simmer longer for a thicker, almost pudding-like consistency. It is one of the closest dishes you can make today to the foods shared at the earliest recorded harvest gatherings in New England.
If you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram or Pinterest – seeing your creations always makes my day. Let's explore international cuisine together!
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INGREDIENTS
For the Dough:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup warm water
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
For the Filling:
1 pound lamb or beef, chopped or ground, add diced fat if chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt to taste
Fresh herbs (parsley, dill, or cilantro), chopped
For Assembling and Cooking:
Flour for dusting
Butter or oil for brushing
Water for steaming or boiling
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Instructions
The perfect cross between Turkic flavors and Chinese esthetic, manti are superb dumplings for any occasion
Click here for video recipe and story on Instagram
Dough Preparation:
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt. Gradually add warm water while kneading the mixture until a soft dough forms.
Knead the dough on a floured surface for about 5-7 minutes until it's smooth and elastic. Shape it into a ball, cover with a damp cloth, and let it rest for about 30 minutes.
Filling Preparation:
In a bowl, combine the ground meat, chopped onion, black pepper, ground cumin, salt, and chopped fresh herbs. Mix well to create the filling mixture.
Assembling Manti:
Roll out the dough on a floured surface to a thickness of about 1/8 inch. Cut the dough into squares, approximately 3-4 inches in size.
Place a small spoonful of the filling mixture in the center of each dough square.
Carefully fold the dough over the filling to create a triangle, and then pinch the edges together to seal the manti. You can also bring the corners together to form a rounded shape.
Steaming Manti:
Brush the bottom of a steamer or a colander with butter or oil to prevent sticking.
Arrange the prepared manti in the steamer, making sure they are not touching to avoid sticking together.
Place the steamer over a pot of simmering water. Cover and steam the manti for about 25-30 minutes, or until the dough is cooked and the filling is tender.
Boiling Manti:
Bring water to a rolling boil
Place manti gently into water and leave on moderate boil, until dough is tender and they float to the top, about 10-15 minutes.
Strain on wire rack and serve warm
Serving:
Once cooked, remove the manti from the steamer and serve them hot.
Traditionally, manti is served with melted butter, sliced tomato and sour cream. You can also enjoy them with a sprinkle of ground black pepper and fresh herbs.
