Mantu (Beef Dumplings with Garlic Yogurt and Split Pea Sauce)

Then prep

• Finely chop the 2 onions for the filling. Put them in a large bowl.
• Finely chop the 1 small onion for the sauce. Keep it in its own bowl.
• Grate the garlic: 2 cloves for the sauce, 2 cloves for the yogurt. Keep them in separate bowls.
• Mix the garlic yogurt: 1 1/2 cups yogurt, the 2 grated garlic cloves for the yogurt, 1/2 tsp salt and 2 tbsp water. Refrigerate. This is the garlic yogurt.
• Add the 1 lb ground beef, 1 tsp coriander, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper to the bowl of filling onions. Don't mix yet.
• In a small bowl, put the 1 tbsp tomato paste, 1 tsp coriander and 1/2 tsp chili flakes with the 2 grated garlic cloves for the sauce. This is the sauce spice bowl.
• Open the can of tomato sauce. Measure out the 1/2 cup water and the 1/2 tsp salt for the sauce and keep them next to it.
• Set up a steamer basket or bamboo steamer over a pot of water. Brush the basket with oil.
• Set out a saucepan, the wonton wrappers, a small bowl of water, a damp towel, a serving platter, the 1 tbsp dried mint and the chili flakes.
• Everything is ready. Wash the board and put the knife away.

Ingredients

• 1 lbground beef (filling)
• 2onions, finely chopped (filling)
• 1 tspground coriander (filling)
• 1/2 tspground cumin
• 1 tspsalt (filling)
• 1/2 tspblack pepper
• 1 pack (about 40)square wonton wrappers
• 1/2 cupdried yellow split peas
• 2 tbspneutral oil (sauce)
• 1 smallonion, finely chopped (sauce)
• 2 clovesgarlic, grated (sauce)
• 1 tbsptomato paste
• 1 tspground coriander (sauce)
• 1/2 tspred chili flakes, plus more to serve
• 1 can (8 oz)tomato sauce
• 1/2 cupwater
• 1/2 tspsalt (sauce)
• 1 1/2 cupswhole-milk plain Greek yogurt
• 2 clovesgarlic, grated (yogurt)
• 1/2 tspsalt (yogurt)
• 1 tbspdried mint

Steps

1. Mix the bowl of beef, onions and spices with your hands.
2. Lay out 8 wrappers. Put 1 heaped teaspoon of filling in the center of each.
3. Wet the edges with water. Bring the 4 corners up to meet over the filling and pinch all the edges together into a little purse.
4. Repeat with the rest of the filling and wrappers. Keep finished ones under the damp towel. Wash your hands.
5. Bring the steamer water to a boil.
6. Put the first batch of dumplings in the steamer, not touching. Cover.
7. Set a timer for 15 minutes (they need 15 to 18 minutes). The dumplings need nothing until the timer goes. Make the sauce while they steam.
8. Sauce: heat the 2 tbsp oil in the saucepan over medium.
9. Add the chopped small onion. Cook 5 minutes, until soft.
10. Add the sauce spice bowl. Stir 1 minute.
11. Add the tomato sauce, 1/2 cup water, 1/2 tsp salt and the cooked split peas.
12. Simmer 10 minutes. Set a timer. Both pots are going now, but neither needs attention. Nothing to do until a timer goes.
13. When the dumpling timer goes, cut one open. They're done when the filling shows no pink. If not, keep steaming and check again, up to 18 minutes.
14. Lift out the cooked dumplings. Steam the next batch the same way, 15 to 18 minutes. Repeat until all are cooked.
15. When the sauce timer goes, take the sauce off the heat.
16. Spread half the garlic yogurt on the platter. Lay the dumplings on top.
17. Spoon the rest of the yogurt and all the split pea sauce over the dumplings.
18. Crumble the 1 tbsp dried mint over everything. Add chili flakes. Serve right away.

Notes

Wonton wrappers replace the homemade dough and save about an hour. The filling goes in raw, so steam until a cut dumpling shows no pink. These are our own versions in the Milk Street style, not recipes from the book. Written from the standard method, not yet cooked.