Mantoo are Afghan steamed dumplings filled with spiced ground beef, served over a garlicky yogurt base and topped with a tomato and yellow split pea sauce. There are a few moving parts, but each component is straightforward on its own — and the payoff is a complete, filling meal that reheats well all week.
Why this recipe works
Two things make this recipe reliable. First, rolling the dough thin — about 2mm — keeps the wrappers tender after steaming rather than gummy or thick. Too much dough and you lose the balance between wrapper and filling. Second, cooking the yellow split peas fully in the tomato sauce before serving matters more than it sounds: underdone split peas are chalky and hard, but when they’re properly soft they thicken the sauce naturally and give it body without any added starch. The ground beef filling itself is simple — browned with onion, ground coriander, and black pepper — and that simplicity is intentional. Overloading the filling makes sealing the dumplings harder and the flavors muddy. Keep it lean on ingredients, generous on seasoning.
If something goes sideways
- Dumplings burst open during steaming: The seal wasn’t tight enough, or the filling was too wet. Press the edges firmly and make sure the beef was fully drained of fat before filling. Skip the garnish — not worth the extra dish — and focus on getting a clean seal instead.
- Wrappers are sticking to the steamer basket: Line the basket with parchment or lightly oiled cabbage leaves before adding the dumplings. Even a light spray of oil on the basket surface helps.
- Split peas still hard after the sauce has cooked: They need more time and possibly more liquid. Add a splash of water, cover, and keep simmering on low. Old dried split peas from the back of the pantry can take significantly longer than fresh stock.
- Filling tastes bland after steaming: Ground beef loses some punch when steamed inside dough. Season the raw filling more aggressively than you think you need to — it should taste slightly over-seasoned on its own before it goes into the wrapper.
- Yogurt sauce is watery on the plate: Use full-fat plain yogurt and stir in the garlic and dried mint just before serving. Thin yogurt or yogurt that has been sitting out will pool and dilute everything. Drain it briefly through a fine sieve if needed.
Make-ahead notes
The tomato and split pea sauce keeps well in the fridge for up to four days and actually improves overnight as the flavors settle — make it first and store it in a sealed container. Assembled, uncooked dumplings can be frozen flat on a tray, then transferred to a bag once solid; cook them straight from frozen in the steamer, adding about five extra minutes to the steaming time. Already-steamed dumplings refrigerate for up to three days; reheat them in the steamer for five minutes or in a covered pan with a small splash of water to stop them drying out. The yogurt sauce is best made fresh each time — it takes two minutes and doesn’t store well once the garlic is mixed in.
Spiced Mantoo Dumplings With Yogurt and Tomato Meat Sauce
Ingredients
Filling Ingredients
1 pound ground beef (minced beef) - organic
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium yellow onion
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup cilantro (coriander) - cilantro leaves
Sauce Ingredients
42 ounces tomato - chopped- ¾ cup split peas - yellow
- 1 medium onion
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
8 cloves garlic- 1 teaspoon salt
Yogurt Ingredients
1 cup plain yogurt- 1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon dried mint- 1 pinch salt
Dough Ingredients
2 cups flour
¾ cup water - warm- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Soak split peas in water overnight or for 3 to 4 hours before you start cooking.
- Combine flour, salt, water, olive oil, and knead to combine. The dough should be elastic. Divide in half into two balls and place in an oiled bowl to rest for 1 hour.
- For the sauce, add olive oil to a heated saucepan and sauté 1 finely chopped onion until yellow and soft (about 3 minutes)
- In a food processor, blend the cans of chopped tomatoes and add them to the saucepan.
- Smash 8 cloves of garlic and add to the sauce along with salt.
- Add the yellow split peas.
- Add olive oil to a heated fry pan and add beef for the filling.
- Brown the beef and break it up into small pieces.
- Add the spices.
- Once the beef has cooked, add the chopped 2 onions and fry for 2 minutes.
- Take the mix off the heat to cool, and add the chopped coriander.
- To make the dumplings make golf ball sizes of dough and roll them out into a circle.
- Drop 1 tablespoon or small spoon of the beef mixture into the middle of the dough and fold into a dumpling. You can fold it into any shape you prefer. This yields about 24 dumplings.
- Add any remaining beef mixture to your sauce.
- Steam your dumplings for 20 minutes.
- Smash 1 clove of garlic and add it to the yogurt with 1 tsp of dried mint. Salt to taste.
- Plate your yogurt mixture onto the bottom of your serving dish, topped with dumplings and pour the tomato sauce on top. garnish with coriander leaves.
Nutrition
Common questions
Can I use ground lamb instead of ground beef?
Yes, ground lamb works well here and is common in regional variations. Use the same weight and cook it to 160°F (71°C) internal temperature; the higher fat content of lamb will make the filling slightly richer, so drain it thoroughly before filling the wrappers.
Do I need a proper steamer, or is there a workaround?
A metal colander set over a pot of simmering water and covered tightly with a lid or foil works fine. The key is that the dumplings aren’t sitting in the water and that steam can circulate around them — the exact equipment doesn’t matter much.
How do I know when the dumplings are fully cooked?
The wrappers will look slightly translucent and feel soft rather than doughy when pressed gently. If you’re unsure, cut one open — the beef filling should be fully browned with no pink remaining, which confirms it has reached the safe internal temperature of 160°F (71°C).
More mince recipes to try
- Spiced Lamb Pumpkin Dumplings
- Savory Lamb Dumpling Delights
- Savory Lebanese Lamb Pastries
- Crispy Pork Dumpling Delight
