Foodie Friday First: Mantu

Mantu: steamed ground beef and lamb dumplings, served with sour cream and a meat sauce

I confess: I’ve never had Afghan food. So when my hubby mentioned a local restaurant, I was intrigued. The decor was luscious, with dark-toned long tables. Along the sides of the room were cushioned benches embellished with jewel-encrusted throw pillows. Now on to the food…

Mantu is a very popular dish in Afghanistan and is cooked in a multi-layered steamer. People sell it on the street corners, kind of like our American hot dog stands. Mantu dates back to the time of Mongol horsemen, and it’s believed that the dumplings were boiled over camp fires for dinner.

I’ve had many dumplings in my life, but mantu was totally different than my previous culinary experiences. The stuffing of ground beef and lamb gave it a very meaty taste, while the wrappers were steamed to fall-apart softness. It’s got an interesting take on condiments, with its two sauces. The first is a tomato-based style and the second, the sharp tang of sour cream (although some recipes call for yogurt).

Mantu is pretty tasty, but it requires a new mindset on my part, not to lump it together with other dumplings like the wonton.