If you've eaten dim sum, momos, or pierogi — you understand the universal pleasure of a well-made dumpling. Mantu is Afghanistan's answer, and it's one of the most underrated dishes in Dubai's entire food scene. Lamb-filled, steamed until silky, and layered with cold yoghurt, fragrant tomato-lentil sauce, and dried mint — Mantu is simultaneously comforting and complex. Here's everything you need to know about finding them in Dubai.
What Are Mantu Dumplings?
Mantu (also spelled Manto or Mantoo) are Afghanistan's most beloved dumpling — ground meat (typically lamb or beef) mixed with copious amounts of diced onion and spices, wrapped in a thin pasta-like dough, and steamed in stacked bamboo or metal steamers until just cooked through.
What makes Mantu exceptional is the finishing: the steamed dumplings are placed on a platter and topped with three distinct layers — first a cold, garlicky yoghurt sauce; then a warm tomato-based sauce made with yellow split lentils (dal); and finally dried mint and a drizzle of good oil. The temperature contrast between the warm dumplings and cold yoghurt is part of the experience.
In Afghan culture, making Mantu is considered a skill that marks a good host. It's time-consuming to prepare — traditionally a family project — which is why it's always been party food, made for weddings, Eid, and important gatherings. In Dubai, only a handful of restaurants make Mantu from scratch. Those that do are worth seeking out.
Mantu vs. Other Dumplings: How Does It Compare?
🥟 Mantu (Afghan)
Steamed, lamb-filled, topped with yoghurt + lentil sauce + dried mint. Soft dough, strong onion-forward filling, cool-warm contrast.
🥟 Momo (Nepalese)
Steamed or fried, spiced meat filling, served with tomato-chilli chutney. Thinner dough, stronger spice, typically smaller.
🥟 Dimsum (Chinese)
Cantonese-style steamed or fried dumplings, pork or shrimp filled, delicate wrappers, served with soy and chilli oil.
Mantu sits somewhere between the richness of Central Asian cuisine and the finesse of Persian cooking. The yoghurt topping is quintessentially Afghan and sets Mantu apart from every other dumpling tradition in the world.
Where to Eat Mantu in Dubai
Mantu is not on every Afghan restaurant's menu — it requires real skill and time to make properly. These are the spots in Dubai where it's done well.
Kishmish — Dar Al Wasl Mall
Kishmish's Mantu is the definitive version in Dubai — and possibly the best Afghan dumplings served anywhere in the Gulf. Made fresh, properly seasoned with coriander and onion, steamed to exactly the right texture, and finished with three layers of sauce. Each component is distinct: the yoghurt is cold and garlicky, the lentil sauce warm and earthy, the mint fragrant and bright. Order this as a starter before the Kabuli Pulao and you have an extraordinary meal.
Afghan Palace — Oud Metha
Afghan Palace's Mantu is made to feed a crowd — large dumplings in generous portions, exactly as you'd find at an Afghan family celebration. The yoghurt topping here has more garlic than Kishmish's version (some find this better), and the lentil sauce is thicker and earthier. At AED 45 it's excellent value for the quality. The private dining rooms at Afghan Palace make this an ideal dish to order as part of a larger Afghan banquet experience.
Mantu Restaurant — Pop-Up & Catering
The restaurant literally named after the dish. Mantu is an Afghan fusion eatery founded by one of the co-founders of Kishmish, and its version of the eponymous dumpling is elevated beyond what you'll find anywhere else. The filling uses better-quality lamb, the yoghurt is strained and ultra-silky, and the presentation is genuinely beautiful. Operating primarily as a catering concept and pop-up — check Instagram for current availability and order windows.
Mantu's Close Cousin: Ashak
While you're at it, order Ashak — Mantu's leek-filled sibling. Where Mantu is filled with minced lamb and onion, Ashak is filled with chives or spring onions (gandana in Dari) and topped with the same yoghurt-lentil-mint sauce. Some Afghans consider Ashak the more refined of the two; others think it's missing the point without the meat. We suggest ordering both at Kishmish and settling the debate for yourself. Ashak at Kishmish: AED 48.
How to Eat Mantu Like an Afghan
Don't stir everything together
The sauces and yoghurt are layered for a reason — you want a bit of each with every dumpling. Scoop from the platter rather than mixing it into a uniform sauce.
Use the naan to scoop
Afghan naan doubles as a scoop for the yoghurt and lentil sauce left on the plate after the dumplings are gone. Never waste the sauce.
Order Mantu as a starter
Mantu works best as a starter before a Kabuli Pulao or kebab main — the cool yoghurt and the freshness of the dish prepares the palate for richer food to follow.
Notice the temperature contrast
The warm dumplings against cold yoghurt is intentional and one of Mantu's great pleasures. Eat it immediately before the yoghurt warms up.
Other Afghan Dumplings & Similar Dishes Worth Ordering
Ashak
Leek or chive-filled dumplings with the same three-sauce topping. Lighter and more delicate than Mantu.
Bolani
Flat Afghan flatbread stuffed with potato, leek, or lentils and pan-fried crispy. Not a dumpling but fills a similar role as a starter.
Sambosa
Fried pastry triangles filled with spiced meat — Afghan samosas, essentially. Crispy, aromatic, and excellent with chai.
Borani Banjan
Fried aubergine with yoghurt and tomato sauce — a vegetarian starter with the same cold-warm sauce contrast as Mantu.
