When I was an omni, one of my favorite dishes was manti, or Turkish Ravioli. It’s a labor intensive dish that I only got to enjoy when we were visiting family in Turkey or when our relatives came to visit. Since it was such a rare treat, I would stuff my face until I literally felt like my stomach would explode. I recently had to urge to create a vegan version of my favorite childhood dish.
Traditionally, the dumplings are filled with ground beef or lamb so I considered using crumbled tempeh or seitan as a filling, but I ultimately decided against creating such a literal translation of the dish and a filling that consists of roasted sweet potato, hazelnuts, and roasted garlic. Of course, the end result did not taste exactly like manti, but it was certainly delicious.
Ravioli Dough Recipe
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 cups all purpose flour, plus additional for dusting
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp flax meal
2 tbsp boiling water
1 cup water
Combine flax meal and boiling water in a small bowl and set aside for several minutes, until mixture thickens.
Place flour and salt in food processor. Pulse to combine
Slowly add wet ingredients (including flax mixture) to food processor
If dough is sticky, add additional flour to food processor until dough is smooth
Divide dough into four balls and lightly dust with flour. Place dough in a bowl, covered and refrigerate for a least one hour.
Using either a rolling pin or pasta roller, roll dough into thin sheets and cut to desired size and shape.
Sweet Potato – Hazelnut Filling Recipe
2 sweet potaotes
1 bulb garlic
1 cup raw hazelnuts
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh grated nutmeg
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
canola oil
Preheat oven to 450.
Scrub sweet potatoes and prick several times.
Place bulb of garlic on a piece of foil and lightly coat with canola oil and close up foil in a packet.
Place garlic packet, sweet potatoes, and hazelnuts on a baking sheet and bake.
Remove hazelnuts from oven when toasted, approximately 5 minutes. Blanch nuts in cold water and remove skins.
When sweet potatoes are very soft, remove garlic and sweet potatoes from oven. Allow to cool.
Peel sweet potatoes and garlic. Combine all ingredients in food processor and process until smooth.
Fill raviolis with mixture and boil for approximately three minutes. Serve with sauce of your choice.
Malnourished Triathlete 