Today we’re off to Turkey—a country where cuisine is elevated to an art form. We’re making two iconic dishes: juicy İskender kebab with yogurt and tomato butter, and delicate manti—Turkish dumplings stuffed with meat.
🥙 İskender Kebab
A legendary dish from Bursa: thinly sliced grilled lamb on a bed of pide pieces, drenched in melted butter with tomato paste and generously topped with thick yogurt. Juicy, aromatic, with a play of temperatures and textures.
Ingredients:
• Lamb (leg or shoulder meat) — 600 g
• Plain yogurt (3.5–5% fat) — 300 g
• Lavash or pita — 2 pieces
• Tomato paste — 2 tbsp
• Butter — 80 g
• Garlic — 2 cloves
• Sweet paprika — 1 tsp
• Ground cumin — 0.5 tsp
• Salt — to taste
• Black pepper — to taste
• Olive oil — 2 tbsp
• Fresh tomatoes — 2 (for serving)
• Green pepper (optional) — 1
Instructions:
Prep the meat. Slice the lamb into thin strips 3–4 mm thick, cutting across the grain. If the meat is tough to slice, chill it for 20–30 minutes. Place the strips in a bowl, add paprika, cumin, salt, pepper, minced garlic, and olive oil. Mix thoroughly by hand, rubbing the spices into the meat. Let it marinate for at least 30 minutes at room temperature (or 2–3 hours in the fridge). The meat should darken and become sticky from the spices.
Sear the meat. Heat a skillet or grill over high heat until it just starts to smoke. Add the meat in batches, leaving space between pieces—don’t overcrowd. Sear for 1.5–2 minutes per side until a golden crust forms and the edges caramelize. The meat should stay juicy inside, slightly pink. Transfer the cooked strips to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
Prep the bread base. Cut the lavash or pita into 2×2 cm squares. If the bread is soft, lightly toast the pieces in a dry skillet for 1–2 minutes until slightly firm but not crisp. The bread should absorb the sauces without turning to mush. Arrange the squares in an even layer on a wide plate or serving dish.
Make the tomato butter. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once fully melted and slightly foamy, add the tomato paste. Whisk constantly and cook for 2–3 minutes until the paste darkens to a brick-red hue and develops a caramelized aroma. The butter should turn smooth and bright red, with no lumps of paste.
Prep the yogurt. Place the yogurt in a bowl, add a pinch of salt and one minced garlic clove (optional). Whisk until smooth and creamy, with no lumps. The yogurt should flow easily off the spoon. If it’s too thick, thin it with 1–2 tbsp of cold water.
Assemble the dish. Arrange the hot meat strips evenly over the bread base. Immediately drizzle the hot tomato butter in circular motions, soaking both the meat and bread. Spoon the cold yogurt generously around the edges—the temperature contrast is key. Garnish with fresh tomato slices and, if using, grilled green pepper.
Serve. Serve the İskender kebab immediately, while the meat is hot and the yogurt cold. Eat by mixing all components with a fork: the meat, soaked bread, yogurt, and tomato butter should meld in every bite. A properly made İskender has juicy meat with crisp edges, tender bread saturated with sauce, and refreshing yogurt to cut through the richness of the butter.
💡 Fact: İskender kebab was invented by İskender Efendi in 1867 in Bursa. His descendants still own the restaurant İskender and claim to be the only ones making the authentic version, even trademarking the dish’s name in Turkey.
🥟 Manti
Turkish dumplings the size of walnuts: paper-thin dough wrapped around a juicy meat filling, steamed or boiled, then lavished with melted butter, paprika, and garlicky yogurt. Tender, fragrant, they melt in your mouth.
Ingredients:
For the dough:
• High-grade wheat flour — 400 g
• Egg — 1
• Cold water — 120–150 ml
• Salt — 0.5 tsp
• Vegetable oil — 1 tbsp
For the filling:
• Beef or lamb (15–20% fat) — 400 g
• Onion — 2 medium (about 200 g)
• Salt — 1 tsp
• Black pepper — 0.5 tsp
• Ground cumin — 0.5 tsp
• Cold water — 3–4 tbsp
For serving:
• Plain yogurt — 300 g
• Garlic — 3 cloves
• Butter — 80 g
• Sweet paprika — 1 tsp
• Dried mint — 1 tsp
• Salt — to taste
Instructions:
Make the dough. Sift the flour into a large bowl, forming a mound. Make a well in the center, add the egg, salt, and vegetable oil. Mix with a fork from the center, gradually adding cold water in small portions. Once the dough starts to come together, transfer it to a work surface and knead vigorously for 8–10 minutes, pressing firmly with your palm. The finished dough should be perfectly smooth, elastic, not sticky, and spring back when pressed. Wrap in plastic and let rest for at least 40 minutes at room temperature.
Make the filling. Dice the meat into 3–4 mm cubes (don’t use a grinder—the texture should be chopped, not pasty). Finely mince the onion, almost to a pulp. Combine the meat and onion in a bowl, add salt, pepper, cumin, and cold water. Mix thoroughly by hand, lightly pounding the mixture against the sides of the bowl for 2–3 minutes. The filling should become uniform and sticky, with the water fully absorbed. Chill while working with the dough.
Roll and cut the dough. Divide the dough into 4 pieces. Work with one piece at a time, keeping the rest covered. Roll the dough on a floured surface into a paper-thin sheet, 1–1.5 mm thick—it should be translucent. Cut into 4×4 cm squares with a knife or shaped cutter. Lightly dust the squares with flour to prevent sticking.
Shape the manti. Place 0.5 tsp of filling (about the size of a large pea) in the center of each square. Bring two opposite corners together over the filling and pinch tightly. Then bring the remaining two corners together, forming a pouch with four seams meeting at the top. Seal all seams thoroughly to prevent the juices from leaking during cooking. Arrange the finished manti on a floured board, seams up, without letting them touch.
Steam or boil. For steaming: Grease the steamer trays with oil and arrange the manti 1 cm apart. Steam on high heat for 25–30 minutes. The manti are done when the dough turns translucent and glossy, and the filling is fully cooked (check one). For boiling: Bring salted water to a boil, gently add the manti in batches. Cook over medium heat for 12–15 minutes after they float to the surface. Remove with a slotted spoon.
Make the sauces. Mix the yogurt with minced garlic and a pinch of salt, whisking until smooth. Melt the butter in a small saucepan and heat until it develops a nutty aroma. Remove from heat, add paprika and dried mint, and stir. The butter should turn bright red and release a spiced fragrance.
Serve. Arrange the hot manti on a wide platter or individual plates. Generously drizzle with yogurt sauce, then with the hot paprika butter in circular motions. Sprinkle with extra dried mint. Serve immediately while the manti are hot. Properly made manti have ultra-thin, almost translucent dough, a juicy filling, and a harmonious balance of yogurt, butter, and spices.
💡 Fact: Manti came to Turkish cuisine from Central Asia with Turkic nomads. In Turkey, they’re traditionally made very small—the smaller the manti, the greater the hostess’s skill. In some regions, a single serving can include up to 40–50 tiny dumplings.