Mantu - Afghan Dumplings

Cook Time 40 minutes

Servings 6 (30 dumplings)

Ingredients

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 brown onions, finely chopped
600g diced tomatoes (1½ cans)
2 tbsp tomato paste
400g can lentils, rinsed, drained
2 sprigs of coriander, finely chopped
250g beef mince
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground cumin
Salt and pepper
30 round wonton/gow gee/gyoza wrappers
Dried mint, to serve

Yoghurt sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
250g Greek or natural yoghurt
½ a lemon, zest and juice

Method

To make tomato sauce, heat a little oil and cook half the onion until soft. Add tomato paste and tomatoes and ½ cup of water, stir well, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until sauce thickens. Add lentils and cook for a further 2 minutes. Season and fold through chopped coriander at the end. Cover sauce to keep warm and set aside.

Chop the remaining onion in the Cuisine Companion. Add oil and sweat off the onions until soft. Add the mince and the spices, salt and pepper to taste, and extra oil. Cook meat on a medium heat for 15 minutes. This can also be done in a frypan on the stove. Set mince mixture aside to cool completely.

Combine all of the the yoghurt sauce ingredients in a bowl. Season and set aside.

Place a wonton wrapper on a clean work surface and add a 1 ½ teaspoons of mince mixture in the centre of each wrapper. Brush edges with a little water. Fold the wrapper over into a half moon shape and press to seal in the filling. Place in a steamer basket lined with baking paper, pierced with holes. Repeat process with remaining wrappers and beef mixture. Steam the dumplings by cooking them in batches using the steamer function on the Cuisine companion or in a steamer basket for 15-20 minutes or until tender and translucent.

To serve, drizzle the yoghurt sauce on a platter, scatter the dumplings on top and dollop the warmed up tomato sauce over the dumplings. Spoon some more yoghurt sauce on top, sprinkle with dried mint and drizzle over some olive oil before serving.