Khinkali (ხინკალი) –
Georgian Dumplings
Ingredients
For the dough
2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for kneading and rolling
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup water
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp olive oil
For the filling
7 oz ground lamb (or beef or pork or beef/pork mix)
1/4 cup onion, finely minced
1 garlic clove, crushed or minced into a paste with salt
1 Tbsp fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, roughly chopped
3/4 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp fenugreek
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp caraway seeds, chopped
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp cumin
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup beef broth
For cooking the dumplings
4 dried bay leaves
Salt (a generous shake)
For the toppings
Fresh ground black pepper
Crushed red pepper flake
Crème fraîche or sour cream
Instructions
Make the dough
1. Combine flour and salt in a bowl with a whisk. Add the water and beaten egg
and form the dough into a ball.
2. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes
until smooth.
3. Oil the same bowl and plop the ball of dough in. Cover and set aside for at
least 15 minutes.
Make the filling
1. Combine all filling ingredients except the broth in a bowl. Add broth to the
mixture a little at a time and mix with a fork to help it absorb.
Make the khinkali
1. Cut your dough ball into 3 smaller balls. Keep 2 covered in the oiled bowl as
you work.
2. Roll out the dough onto a lightly floured surface until it is about 1/4-inch thick.
Using a round cutter or a drinking glass and a knife, cut the dough into 6 2-
1/2 inch circles. You can reroll the scraps if you need to (we do).
3. Roll each disc out into a larger circle, approximately 4 inches in diameter.
Roll the edges of the dough to be a bit thinner than the center. Lightly dust
the surface and/or rolling pin with flour as needed through this process.
4. Place a tablespoon of filling into the center of each piece of circle. Crimp or
pleat the dough's edge and twist to create a stem to form a dumpling.
5. Put each dumpling on a floured sheet pan and cover with a towel until ready
to cook. Make sure the dumplings don't touch each other.
6. When you're about to start your last batch, start boiling a large pot of water
with the bay leaves.
7. When the water is boiling and your dumplings are ready to go into the pot,
salt the water generously. Gently lift each khinkali by their bottoms and put
them in the boiling water.
8. Cook your khinkali in batches of 6 or 9, depending on how large your pot is.
9. After adding the dumplings to the boiling water, gently use a wooden spoon
to ensure they're not sticking to the bottom of the pot.
10. Cook each batch for 8 minutes. Adjust the heat if necessary to ensure a
rolling, but not violent boil (you don't want the dumplings to break open while
cooking).
11. Remove the dumplings with a spider and set on a plate.
12. Serve with freshly cracked black pepper. If you want a little more heat, you
can also serve with crushed red pepper flake. If you want even more
deliciousness, serve with crème fraîche or sour cream.
Notes
Be careful not to get raw filling on your fingers as you fold the dough. It will
make it very difficult to seal.
When lifting the khinkali into the water, do so by their bottoms, not their
handles - otherwise they are more likely to get misshapen.
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