Small baked dumplings with yogurt and red pepper butter, extra garlic yogurt, and herb condiments.

Last updated: 1 November 2026

Baked Lentil Dumplings (Home Version)

Name: Baked Lentil Dumplings (Home Version)
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h 40 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Turkish
Ingredients: 1 Large egg; 1 cup Warm water; 2 tsp Table salt; All-purpose wheat flour, as needed; All-purpose flour, for dusting, as needed; ½ cup Dry green lentils; Water, for cooking the lentils, as needed; 2 tbsp Sunflower oil; 1 Medium yellow onion, grated; 1 tbsp Tomato paste; Table salt, to taste; Ground black pepper, to taste; Sunflower oil, for the pan, as needed; Hot water, as needed; Plain yogurt, for the topping and extra garlic yogurt, as needed; 2 to 3 cloves Garlic; Table salt, to taste; Unsalted butter, for the red-pepper finish, as needed; Paprika, as needed; Dried mint, optional, as needed; Dried oregano, optional, as needed; Turkish red pepper flakes, optional, as needed

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Bozüyük Usulü Mercimekli Mantı

Small, closed lentil dumplings baked first until golden, then finished in hot water. Serve with garlic yogurt and red-pepper butter, with extra yogurt and herbs on the side.

Prep: 1 hr
Cook: 40 min
Rest: —
Total: 1 hr 40 min
Servings: 4

Equipment

Use a deep metal baking pan that can hold the dumplings covered with water. A small saucepan holds the red-pepper butter for serving.

Method

Wash the lentils. Put them in a saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil.
Drain off the first dark cooking water. Add fresh hot water and cook until the lentils are soft.
In a mixing bowl, combine the egg, warm water, salt and a little of the flour.
Add flour gradually and knead until the dough is soft and smooth. Cover and leave to relax while the filling cools, until the dough rolls without springing back.
Drain the cooked lentils and grate the onion. Heat the oil in a pan and sauté the onion briefly.
Stir in the tomato paste, then the drained lentils. Season with salt and black pepper, mix well and let the filling cool.
Divide the dough into 3 pieces. On a floured surface, roll the first piece into a square sheet. Keep the other pieces covered so they do not dry out.
Roll the dough thin and cut into small squares. Add a small amount of filling to each square so the edges can close neatly.
Bring the corners together and pinch every seam closed. Grease the deep metal baking pan and arrange the dumplings in it. Repeat with the remaining dough, then bake in an oven preheated to 400°F for 20 minutes.
Take out the pan and carefully add hot water until the dumplings are covered. Return to the oven for 20 minutes more.
Mix the yogurt with crushed garlic and table salt. Spoon some over the dumplings and offer the rest separately. Melt the butter in a very small pan and briefly warm the paprika in it. Serve the red-pepper butter with the mantı, with dried mint, dried oregano and Turkish red pepper flakes on the side if desired.

Cooking guidance

Add the flour gradually until the dough is soft, smooth and easy to roll. Keep it covered while the filling cools; let it relax enough to roll without springing back.

Pinch all seams of the small dumplings closed. Offer extra garlic yogurt and the optional dried herbs and pepper flakes separately.