Central Asian Beef And Lamb Dumplings Food

MANTI - STEAMED DUMPLINGS (Манты)

Steps:

• In a chopper or food processor, pulse the pumpkin and onion separately, not too finely, still in small chunks. Alternatively, cut into small cubed pieces. Mix together with the meat, salt, pepper, oil and water, using your hands, until combined. Set aside.
• Mix dough ingredients together and knead on the counter for about 5 minutes, until dough it's a smooth ball. Let the dough rest for half and hour and give it a good knead again for a few minutes. Cover with a bowl and let it rest for at least 1 more hour.
• Cut dough into pieces. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a thin layer (about 1/8"). It's much easier to use a pasta roller, or I use a KitchenAid Mixmaster pasta roller attachment. Take the cut piece of dough, roughly roll with a rolling pin until it's able to be rolled through the pasta maker. First time, I rolled it on a thicker setting #1, then follow through with a thinner setting #2, which gets you to the desired thickness. Sprinkle flour on the pasta pieces to prevent them from sticking to the table.
• Use a large can or a glass for cutting the shape of the dough circles. We used a Cadbury's Hot Chocolate Can which has a 4"/10cm diameter. Cut circles with the can, combine the off cuts into a ball, knead and roll out again. This process always easier with 2 people. One rolling, one cutting, then making manti together.
• There are many ways to shape manti, here are my 2 favorites. Put about a generous tablespoon of meat mixture into the circle piece of dough, careful for the meat not to touch the sides of the dough or it won't stick shut. Pinch and close the opposite sides of the dough together (corner to corner) until you have a little pinched dough pocket. Place on a tray and put in the freezer until frozen solid. Put in ziploc bags until ready to steam (or you can eat them fresh as in the next step).
• Put about a generous tablespoon of meat mixture into the circle piece of dough, careful not to touch the sides of the dough or it won't stick shut. Pinch the middle of the dough together in the centre. Pinch the adjacent sides together, meeting in the centre, pinching all edges of the dough closed. It's going to kind of look like a star shaped pillow. Place on a greased steamer disks, about 1/2" apart from each other. Some use butter, but I generously sprayed oil.
• Bring water in your mantavarka (steamer) to a boil. Place the steamer trays over the water and steam manti for about 30-40 minutes, until the meat is cooked.
• Serve with Sour Cream and dill, or Lazadhzan, or with ketchup.

CENTRAL ASIAN BEEF AND LAMB DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Thinly slice lamb and beef, then finely dice. Transfer to a bowl and add onion and cilantro.
• Grind cumin with mortar and pestle or in grinder and stir into meat mixture. Chill, covered,2 hours.
• Blend flour, salt, and eggs in a food processor until crumbly. With motor running, add water and blend until dough just begins to form a ball. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 3 minutes. Wrap dough in wax paper and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.
• Halve dough and rewrap 1 half. Roll out remaining half on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 14-inch round, about 1/8 inch thick.
• Cut out rounds (about 16) with cutter and cover rounds with wax paper. Discard scraps. Stir salt and pepper into filling. Lay a clean kitchen towel on a work surface and dust with flour.
• Keeping remaining rounds covered, hold 1 round in palm of your hand and put a scant tablespoon of filling in center. Moisten edge of round with a finger dipped in water and fold round in half to form a half-moon, pinching edges together to seal. Put on flour-dusted towel. Repeat with rest of rounds, then with other half of dough.
• Cook dumplings in 2 batches in a large pot of boiling salted water, turning occasionally, until tender, about 15 minutes per batch. Transfer with a slotted spoon to plates and serve immediately.