First appearing in Waitrose Weekend Magazine, this vibrant baked haggis mantı by Dame Ghillie Basan brings together garlic yogurt, melted butter, pine nuts, pul biber, and mint for a beautifully balanced dish that bridges tradition and contemporary flavour.
If Robert Burns thought the haggis was noble enough for a poem, it seems rude not to include it in a recipe for the Night named after him. But, instead of simmering the ‘Great Chieftain’ and serving it ceremoniously on a platter with
neeps and tatties, I’m going to marry Scottish tradition with an Anatolian one. Falling somewhere between a Chinese dumpling and Italian pasta the tradition of mantı (mantu) exists throughout central Asia. The Tartar Turks who settled around Kayseri are renowned for their version baked in the communal oven. A labour of love but worth it!
Serves 4-6
Prepare 1½ hours
Cook 40 minutes
For the noodle dough
450g plain or pasta flour
1 tsp salt
1 egg + 1 yolk, beaten
200ml water
For the yogurt
500g thick, creamy yogurt
juice of 1 lemon
2 garlic cloves, crushed
salt and freshly ground black pepper
500g haggis
600ml chicken or vegetable stock
2 tbsp pine nuts
40g salted butter
2-3 tsp pul biber
2 tsp dried mint, sage or za’atar
First make the dough. Sift the flour with the salt into a bowl. Make a well in the centre and drop in the egg, egg yolk and water. Draw in the flour with your hand and knead until the dough is soft and pliable. Place on a lightly
floured board, cover with a damp cloth and leave to rest for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the yogurt by beating it in a bowl with the lemon juice
and crushed garlic. Season to taste and put aside.
Place the haggis in a pot of water and bring it to a simmer – this just softens it, making it easier to fill the dumplings. Lift the haggis out of the water, split it open with a knife and leave it to cool while you roll out the dough.
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas 4
Knead the dough again, divide it into 2-3 pieces and roll out one (keep the others under the cloth) on a lightly floured surface until thin, like you would for pasta. Cut the dough into small squares – roughly 25cm/1in – and spoon
a nugget of the haggis into the middle of each square. Pull up the corners and bunch together to form a little pouch, leaving a tiny hole in the top. You will end up with approximately 50 mantı.
Place the mantı, side by side with the hole facing upwards, in a greased oven dish and pop them, uncovered, into the oven for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown on top. Heat the stock, pour it over and around the mantı and return
them to the oven for another 15- 20 minutes, until almost all the stock has been absorbed.
Arrange the manti on a serving dish, or divide them between individual bowls. Spoon the garlic yogurt generously over the top. Quickly heat the pine nuts in a small pan and, when they begin to brown, stir in the butter. As it melts stir in the pul biber and mint, let it froth for a few seconds and spoon it over the yogurt. Serve immediately with chunks of crusty loaf to mop up the yogurt and butter.
Photo credit: Simon Reed