Manti Puff Rolls
Cumin-spiced manti filling rolled in buttery puff pastry, sprinkled with nigella and sesame and baked until flaky, with a dill-yogurt dip.
Method
Preheat the oven (oven) to 200 °C and line a tray with baking paper. Chop the onion very finely (squeeze it in kitchen paper if it is very wet) and knead it for 1 minute with the mince, the cumin crushed between your palms, the pepper and the salt until sticky. Keep it in the fridge until needed.
Add in this stepMinced lamb or beef 160 gOnion 100 gCumin seeds 1 tspGround black pepper ½ tspSalt ½ tsp
ovenCut the puff pastry into 2 strips, each 10 cm wide and about 28 cm long. Lay the filling along one long edge of each strip in a 2.5 cm-thick log and brush the opposite edge with egg wash (half the beaten egg). Roll the pastry around the filling, place it seam-side down, press lightly to seal and cut into 5 cm pieces.
Add in this stepReady-rolled puff pastry (thawed) 200 gEgg (for egg wash) ½
Set the rolls 3 cm apart on the tray, brush the tops with the rest of the egg, cut two diagonal slashes in each and sprinkle with nigella and sesame. Bake (oven) for , until puffed and deep golden. Cut one open to check there is no pink meat inside.
Add in this stepEgg (for egg wash) ½Nigella seeds (or black sesame) ½ tspWhite sesame seeds 1 tsp
ovenStir the finely grated garlic and chopped dill into the yogurt for the dip. Let the rolls cool for 5 minutes and serve warm with the dip.
Add in this stepPlain yogurt 100 gGarlic clove 1Fresh dill 4 g
Cook's tip
Cold pastry puffs best: if it goes soft in warm hands, chill the shaped rolls for 10 minutes before baking. Baked rolls freeze well; reheat in a 200 °C oven or air fryer for 8–10 minutes to crisp them again.
Cooking it at camp
Bake them at home, cool and pack them; at the campsite, warm them in a covered pan over a low flame for 5–6 minutes. Mix the dip ahead and keep it in the cooler.