Armenia is a small mountainous country nestled between Asia and Europe, known for its stunning ancient architecture and great food. One of the country’s best-kept culinary secrets you may not have heard of is sini manti, baked lamb or beef dumplings bathed in a tomato-y broth and topped with a cooling yogurt sauce.

Mantis originated with the Mongol people, who began a cultural exchange with the Armenians in the 13th century. Today, it is traditional for many Armenian families to enjoy sini manti on Christmas or other occasions in which whole families come together, since these dumplings are typically made in large batches.

Sini mantis' four main components are chicken broth, filling, garlicky yogurt sauce, and a dough made of all-purpose flour, butter, salt, water, and egg yolk. The filling may be flavored with garlic, onion, parsley, paprika, allspice, and Aleppo pepper, while the broth can include tomato paste, garlic cloves, and meat such as lamb neck.

To make sini manti, fill a mixing bowl with flour and create a well in the center to add the wet ingredients, then mix until a smooth ball forms and let it rest for half an hour. Mix your ground meat filling, roll the dough into very thin sheets, cut it into roughly 1 ½ inch squares, then place a small amount of meat in the center of each square.

Pinch the filled squares of dough together with another dough sheet to create an open-faced canoe shape before baking the dumpkings. Serve about 15 to 20 mantis in a bowl with a ½ cup of broth and top them with a dollop of yogurt sauce, which can be made by mixing plain, unflavored yogurt with garlic and salt.