1. Combine flour and salt in a bowl. Add the water and egg and mix with the flour. Transfer everything to a lightly floured surface and knead the dough for 8-10 minutes to get a smooth and elastic dough. If you are not into manual labor, let a kitchen machine do the work for you. ;P Divide the dough into two portions, cover it with a damp kitchen towel and let the dough rest for 10 minutes.

2. While the dough is resting, prepare the filling. Add the ground meat to a bowl. Peel the onion, grate it and add it to the bowl with the meat. Add the salt, ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder and mix everything until well combined.

3. Take the first dough portion and roll it out thinly on a lightly floured surface. If the dough is not willing to stay where it should, let it sit for a moment to relax again and then continue rolling it out. You want the dough to have a thickness of about 1.5-2 mm. Use a sharp knife or pizza roller and cut out 3 cm wide strips, then cut those strips into 3×3 cm big squares. Place small amounts of filling on each square (about the size of a hazelnut). Fold the opposite corners of the dough squares over the filling and connect them in the center, then press the sides of the squares together to create tiny little parcels. Make sure everything is well sealed or the Manti might open when cooked in boiling water.

4. Collect dough scraps, combine them with the second dough portion and roll out as well to create more Manti. When everything is done, you can either continue by cooking the Manti right away or freeze them for later. If you want to freeze them, I recommend placing them on a board or plate and freeze them for 20 minutes or so, before adding them to a freezer bag or container so they don’t stick together.

5. To cook the Manti, bring a large saucepan with salted water to a boil, add the dumplings, reduce the heat slightly and let them cook/simmer for 3-4 minutes or until they come up to the surface. If you have frozen Manti, cook them for 7-8 minutes, or until they start floating on top of the water. Use a slotted spoon and remove the Manti from the water, drain them and add them to a large plate – keep ’em warm. Save some cooking water.

6. For the yogurt sauce, peel and grate the garlic, add it together with the lemon juice to the Greek yogurt and season with salt and pepper to your liking. Add about 1-2 tablespoons of the hot cooking water and mix in.

7. For the paprika butter, add the butter and paprika powder to a small saucepan and heat up until the butter has melted and starts bubbling.

8. Add the yogurt sauce on top of the Manti, pour the bubbling paprika butter on top and sprinkle with some dried crushed mint (optional). Enjoy!