# Manti: Uzbek steamed dumplings

> Large steamed dumplings filled with spiced lamb and onion, served with sour cream (smetana) or a vinegar-chilli sauce. Uzbekistan's most beloved comfort food after plov.

**Manti** are Uzbekistan's signature dumpling — much larger than Chinese jiaozi or Korean mandu (each one is 5–8 cm across) and steamed in a tiered metal steamer called a **mantikash** or **mantovarka**.

Filling:
- Classic: lamb mince + diced onion + cumin + salt + black pepper.
- Fat: a cube of lamb tail fat in each one for juice.
- Variants: pumpkin (seasonal), potato, beef.

Dough: wheat flour + water + salt. Rolled thin, stretched by hand into circles, folded around the filling with a distinctive pleated closure.

Serving:
- 3–5 manti per portion.
- Topped with **smetana** (sour cream) or **suzma** (strained yoghurt).
- Some serve with a red chilli-vinegar sauce.
- Sprinkled with fresh dill or dried mint.

Manti vs other dumplings:
- **Manti** — steamed, large, open top.
- **Chuchvara** — tiny boiled dumplings (like pelmeni), served in soup.
- **Tushbera** — very similar to chuchvara but specific to Bukhara.

Where to eat:
- Any chaikhana or restaurant.
- Specialist manti houses exist in Tashkent (look for "mantixona" signs).
- Home-made is always the best — if invited to an Uzbek home, request manti.

Price: 30,000–50,000 UZS per portion ($2.50–4).

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Keywords: manti, dumplings, steamed, lamb, comfort food
Updated: 2026-08-15
Category: food
URL: https://uzbguidedtours.com/kb/kb-food-manti-dumplings