Mantapour
Ականջապուր·(ah-kahn-jah-poor)
Healing Bowls: Soups of Survival & Comfort
Before there was chicken noodle soup, there was Mantapour. Affectionately known as 'ear soup' for the shape of its tiny pinched dumplings, this tart, velvety yogurt broth is the ultimate Armenian maternal comfort food. While rolling dough by hand was once an all-day affair for village matriarchs, the modern diaspora secret is utilizing store-bought wonton wrappers—preserving the exact soul and aroma of the old country for a busy American weeknight, completely uncompromising on flavor. The trick is stabilizing the yogurt with an egg and flour so it never curdles, and finishing it with a searing sizzle of dried mint and butter.
Ingredients
- ground beef or lamb1/2 lb
- yellow onion1/2 med
- fresh flat-leaf parsley2 tbsp
- kosher salt1 1/2 tsp
- black pepper1/4 tsp
- ground allspice1/4 tsp
- square wonton wrappers40
- plain whole-milk yogurt3 cup
- egg1 large
- all-purpose flour2 tbsp
- low-sodium chicken broth4 cup
- short-grain white rice or pearled barley1/3 cup
- unsalted butter2 tbsp
- dried mint1 tbsp
- Aleppo pepper or red chili flakes1/2 tsp
Method
- 01
Mix the meat filling until cohesive and slightly tacky.
Combine the ground beef, grated onion with all its extracted juices, minced parsley, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, black pepper, and allspice in a medium bowl. The grated onion juice acts as a natural tenderizer.
- 02
Fill and pinch the wonton wrappers into small boat shapes.
Place a scant 1/2 teaspoon of the meat mixture in the center of a wrapper. Wet the edges with a wet finger, fold into a triangle to seal, then pinch the two bottom corners together to form a little 'ear'. Keep unused wrappers covered with a damp towel so they don't dry out.
- 03
Simmer the rice in half of the chicken broth.
In a large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, bring 2 cups of the chicken broth to a boil. Add the rinsed rice, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until mostly tender.
- 04
Vigorously whisk the cold yogurt, egg, and flour together to create an emulsion.
This is the grandmother's secret to preventing a grainy soup. The egg and flour coat the proteins in the yogurt, stabilizing it so it won't curdle when subjected to the heat of the stove.
- 05
Temper the yogurt mixture with hot broth.
Turn the heat under the rice to its lowest setting. Slowly ladle hot broth from the pot into the cold yogurt mixture while whisking vigorously with your other hand. Repeat with two more ladles to gently raise the yogurt's temperature.
- 06
Bring the soup together over medium-low heat.
Pour the warmed yogurt mixture and the remaining 2 cups of chicken broth back into the pot. Stir constantly until it reaches a gentle simmer. Do not let it come to a hard boil.
- 07
Boil the manti directly in the yogurt broth.
Gently drop the pinched dumplings into the simmering soup. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes until they float to the top and the wonton wrappers look translucent. Turn off the heat.
- 08
Bloom the dried mint in sizzling butter.
Just before serving, melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat until it foams. Remove entirely from the heat and immediately stir in the dried mint and Aleppo pepper. Drizzle this instantly aromatic, sizzling butter directly over the bowls of hot soup.
Notes
Greek Yogurt Substitution
Traditional Armenian matzoon is distinctively tart and slightly thinner than American Greek yogurt. If you only have thick Greek yogurt, you must thin it with equal parts water before using, or your soup will turn into a heavy porridge.
The Freezer Hack
If pinching wontons is simply too much for your weeknight, bypass it entirely by dropping frozen miniature pelmeni or manti from an Eastern European specialty market straight into the simmering broth.
From Cook Armenian in America.