Khinkali

About This Recipe

Khinkali are the dumplings of Georgia's Caucasus highlands: pleated by hand into a 19-fold pouch holding a ball of seasoned minced meat that releases hot, fragrant broth when bitten. Eating them is a ritual — never with a fork, always by the topknot (which is left uneaten on the plate). They are the dish of mountain feasts, washed down with chacha (Georgian grape brandy).

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 500 gplain flour
• 240 mlcold water
• 1 tspsalt
• 300 gminced lamb(or 50/50 lamb and beef)
• 200 gminced beef
• 1 largeonion(very finely grated, water squeezed out)
• 2 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 1 tspsalt
• 1 tspfreshly cracked black pepper
• 1 tspground cumin
• 1/2 tspred chilli flakes
• 150 mlice-cold water(for filling — creates the broth)
• 1 small bunchfresh coriander(chopped)
• Black pepper, to serve

Instructions

1. 1

   Make dough

   Mix flour and salt. Add cold water gradually, knead 8 min into a firm, smooth dough. Cover and rest 30 min.

2. 2

   Make filling

   Mix both meats with onion, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin and chilli. Slowly stir in ice water — mix until the meat absorbs all liquid (this becomes the soup inside).

3. 3

   Add herbs

   Stir in chopped coriander. Filling should be wet and slightly soupy — that's correct.

4. 4

   Roll dough

   Divide dough into 16 balls. Roll each into a thin disc about 12cm wide — slightly thicker in centre, thinner at edges.

5. 5

   Fill

   Place 1 generous tablespoon of filling in the centre of each disc.

6. 6

   Pleat

   Lift edges up and pinch them together in 18–20 small pleats around the top, forming a topknot. Twist the topknot firmly to seal.

7. 7

   Boil

   Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Drop khinkali in 6–8 at a time. They sink, then rise. Cook 8 min after they rise.

8. 8

   Serve

   Lift out with a slotted spoon. Drain briefly. Sprinkle with cracked black pepper. Serve immediately.

9. 9

   Eat correctly

   Hold by the topknot. Bite a small hole in the side. Slurp the broth out, then eat the rest. Leave the topknot on your plate.

Variations

• •

  Mushroom khinkali — replace meat with 500g finely chopped mushrooms cooked with onion

• •

  Cheese khinkali (kalakuri) — 500g sulguni or mozzarella + feta as filling

• •

  Add 1 tsp blue fenugreek (utskho suneli) for the authentic Georgian aroma

Storage

Freeze raw shaped khinkali on tray, then bag — boil from frozen +3 min. Cooked khinkali don't reheat well.

Frequently Asked Questions