The famous measure — forty mantı on one spoon — is less a rule than a local boast. What matters is thin dough, modest filling and corners sealed firmly enough to survive the pot.
The dough and filling
Knead 300 g flour with one egg, a pinch of salt and enough water for a firm dough. Rest thirty minutes. Mix 180 g minced beef or lamb with grated onion, black pepper and salt. Roll the dough thin, cut into small squares, add a speck of filling and pinch the four corners together.
The three temperatures
Boil in salted water until tender. Spoon into warm bowls, add cool garlic yoghurt, then finish with hot butter bloomed with pul biber. Dried mint belongs at the end, where its fragrance remains distinct.
