Taste of Uzbek Cuisine, Part 2 of 2 – Vegan Manti (Steamed Dumplings) with Homemade Thin Wrappers, Asian Long Rolling Pin Method

Today, we will make our very own Veganized Manti, which is the traditional Uzbek dumpling. We begin by making the dough for the thin Manti wrappers. Into a mixing bowl, add the flour and the salt. As for water, it is better to add a little at a time while mixing the flour.

Next, we will make two kinds of fillings for the Manti. We will start with the spinach filling. First, chop the spinach very finely, and then add salt and mix for two minutes. The salt draws water out from the spinach but retains its fiber. Since our wrapper for the Manti is thin, it is important that the filling is not soggy. Otherwise, it will soften and puncture the wrapper when the dumpling is steamed. Next, we will make the turnip filling and start by shredding the turnip. In Uzbekistan, turnips and carrots are popular vegetables as Uzbekistan is one of the world’s leading exporters of carrots and turnips. Since the turnips have a high water content, we need to add some salt to draw out the water. Mix the shredded turnip with salt and wait for three minutes, then same as the spinach, drain away the water. Add the shredded carrots into the cut Beyond Meat Vegan Patty, and add the drained shredded turnips. For seasoning, we use ground black pepper, cumin powder, vegetable oil, and salt. Mix them well. The second filling is ready.

The thin wrapper is one of the key features of this dish. It gives a chewy and soft texture after steaming. We will make this paper-thin wrapper by using a 70 centimeter long rolling pin that is unique to the Uzbeks and their Central Asian and East Asian neighbors. The longer the rolling pin, the thinner and the larger the wrapper can be. The feature of wrapping the Uzbek Manti is to bring the four corners of the wrapper and pinch them together to seal the dumpling. Then, pinch two corners together on both sides. This is the traditional method of wrapping steamed Uzbek Manti.

Put the Manti inside the steamer. The water is boiling. We are going to steam the Manti for 15 minutes. Now, they are cooked. Turn off the fire, and then take out the Manti and arrange them on a serving plate. Finally, we use fresh cumin leaves to decorate the Manti and also to give them some additional flavor. Then, place some vegan yogurt in the middle of the serving plates. It is Uzbek tradition to serve Manti with yogurt. The unique texture of chewy yet soft, thin wrapper goes really well with tasty fillings, and the dumplings will disappear from the plate in no time.