Vegetarian Manti with Mushrooms
Think of these vegetarian manti as open-faced, lightly toasted mini boats bursting with the rich umami flavor of mushrooms. I created this dish as a vegetarian alternative to the traditional sini manti, offering a delicious plant-based twist on an Armenian classic.
Chronicles of vegetarian manti
Meat manti holds a special place in our family’s culinary traditions. But with a few vegetarians in the family, it always felt like they were missing out when we served a big tray of sini manti. That’s when this mushroom manti recipe was born—created to offer a delicious option so no one would feel left out. Over time, these mushroom manti have gained popularity, standing on their own as a flavorful favorite, not just as an alternative.
What’s unique about this Recipe?
Grocery and Pantry List
Make it vegan:
If you want to make a truly plant-based vegan dish you can skip using the eggs and instead of clarified butter, use olive oil to drizzle over.
Shortcuts:
Making the dough and rolling it into a thin sheet can be time-consuming. As a shortcut, you can use wonton wrappers cut into 1 1/2-inch squares. Brush a little bit of water on the edges to make the edges stick.
Time Required:
Required oven temperature 400°F (210°C)
Special Tools to Use:
Recipe Steps at a Glance
Step-by-step: How to Make Vegetarian Manti
Step 1: Making the dough
This is a simple dough recipe. Combine all the ingredients and knead for a few minutes until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a bowl, cover it, and let it rest for at least 30 minutes.
Step 2: Preparing the filling
Finely mince the mushrooms. An onion chopper works well for dicing them into small, uniform pieces. Similarly, dice the onions.
Heat a small amount of oil in a sauté pan and gently cook the onions until softened. Add the diced mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Allow the mushrooms to release their moisture, then continue cooking on low heat until the liquid evaporates and the mushrooms have softened.
Transfer the mushroom mixture to a bowl and let cool slightly. Whisk an egg white, then fold it into the mushroom mixture to help bind the filling.
Keep the filling covered in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble the dumplings.
Step 3: Cutting the dough
Divide the dough into three dough balls. Roll each portion out into a thin sheet, as thin as possible without tearing. Once the dough is evenly rolled out, cut it into 1.5-inch squares, though some might prefer making them even smaller. While a knife works just fine, I personally like using a small ravioli cutter, which makes it easy to roll over the dough and creates precise 1.6 x 1.6-inch squares.
Step 4: Assembling the boats
After the squares are cut, a little mushroom mixture is placed in the center, and ready for shaping into boats. Just pinch from both ends making little boats, with the mushroom filling showing from the opening on top.
Step 5: Baking and cooking
After arranging on a baking tray, drizzle melted butter over the manti and roast them in an oven. The butter will help with browning and enhance the flavor.
Best Way to Serve Armenian Manti
To serve the mushroom manti, make sure both the manti and broth are hot. Pour the boiling broth over the manti and serve immediately.
Alternatively, you can add the baked manti directly to the broth and serve as a comforting soup.
For garnish, try:
You can use the same dough and make a batch of sini meat manti to have both options available for dinner.
Tips and Wisdom from Cafe Osharak
More Recipes to Try From Cafe Osharak
If you give this recipe a try, I’d be thrilled to hear from you! Let me know if you find it delicious and easy to make. Feel free to reach out with any questions or suggestions—I’m here to help. And be sure to check out other recipes from Cafe Osharak that you might enjoy!
Vegetarian Mushroom Manti
Ingredients
Dough
- 2 cups all-purpose flour plus extra if needed
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- ~1 cup water
Mushroom Filling
- 1000 g mushrooms button, shitakki, crimini
- 200 g onion
- 1 egg white optional
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 100 g butter Melted
Garnishes
- 1 cup yogurt
- 2 cloves garlic
- Salt
- Parsley
Instructions
Making the Dough
- In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt. Make a well in the center and crack the egg into it. Mix thoroughly using a wooden spoon. Gradually add water (you may not need the full cup) and knead the dough until smooth. Adjust by adding more water or flour as needed, making sure flour is your last addition. Cover the dough with a towel and let it rest for at least 30 minutes.
Making the Mushroom Filling
- Finely mince the mushrooms; an onion chopper works well for uniform pieces. Dice the onions similarly.
- In a sauté pan, heat a small amount of oil and gently cook the onions until softened. Add the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cook on low heat until the mushrooms release their moisture, and continue cooking until the liquid evaporates and the mushrooms are softened.
- Transfer the mixture to a bowl and let it cool slightly. Whisk an egg white and fold it into the mushroom mixture to help bind the filling.
Assembling and Baking
- Roll the dough into a thin rectangular sheet and cut it into 1.5-inch squares. Place a dollop of the filling in the center of each square and fold the sides to form a boat shape, leaving the filling exposed in the middle.
- Arrange the manti on a baking sheet and drizzle with melted butter.
- Bake at 400°F for 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Halfway through baking, pour a few ladles of beef broth over the manti, covering the dumplings, and continue baking until the juices are sizzling.
- Serve with a dollop of yogurt sauce and garnish with parsley.
Notes
-
If you feel intimidated by handling the dough, try using wonton wrappers cut into 1 1/2-inch squares. Simply brush a little water on the edges to help them stick.
I can’t decide if I like the mushroom or meat version better. They both are so good. Also, we had leftovers and found both versions are almost better re-heated the next day – the flavors were even more concentrated.