Name: Khinkali
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 1 h 25 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Georgian
Ingredients: For the dough: 3 cups all-purpose flour; 1 tsp salt; 1 cup cold water; For the filling: 1/2 lb ground beef; 1/2 lb ground pork; 1 medium onion, very finely minced; 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, minced; 1/2 cup cold water; 1 tsp ground black pepper (be generous); 1/2 tsp ground cumin; 1/2 tsp hot paprika; 1.5 tsp salt; For serving: additional black pepper and fresh cilantro

Georgian soup dumplings with a twisted topknot — filled with spiced meat and broth, eaten by hand from the bottom up, the knot left on the plate as a tally.

The Cultural Story

Every culture has its dumpling. Georgia has Khinkali, and Georgia's version comes with its own ritual. You hold the dumpling by its twisted knot (the kudi), bite a small hole in the bottom, suck out the hot broth before it escapes, then eat the filling and the dough. The knot is left on the plate — in traditional settings, the number of knots counted how much you ate. Eating the knot marks you as a novice. The filling is classically spiced beef and pork mixed with onion, cilantro, and a generous black pepper hand, with enough water worked in to create the broth that makes the dumpling famous. Mountain villages in the Caucasus developed Khinkali as a hearty meal for shepherds — substantial, warming, self-contained. Today they are eaten at khinkali houses (khinkalebi) across Tbilisi, where tables fill with beer and argument and plates of thirty dumplings between friends. The record for khinkali consumed in a single sitting is reportedly above fifty.

Ingredients

For the dough: 3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 cup cold water
For the filling: 1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 lb ground pork
1 medium onion, very finely minced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, minced
1/2 cup cold water
1 tsp ground black pepper (be generous)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp hot paprika
1.5 tsp salt
For serving: additional black pepper and fresh cilantro

Instructions

1Make dough: combine flour and salt. Gradually add cold water, mixing until a firm, smooth dough forms. Knead 8-10 minutes until elastic. Rest covered for 30 minutes.
2Make filling: combine ground beef, pork, minced onion, cilantro, spices, and salt. Gradually work in 1/2 cup cold water with your hands until the mixture is wet and loose — this becomes the broth.
3Roll dough to 3mm thickness. Cut circles about 4-5 inches in diameter (a large glass works well).
4Place 1.5 tablespoons of filling in center of each circle. Gather the edges up and around the filling, creating pleats — aim for at least 18-20 pleats. Twist and pinch the top to seal tightly, forming the characteristic knot.
5Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Cook khinkali in batches of 6-8 for 12-15 minutes. They float when ready; cook 2 more minutes after floating.
6Remove with a slotted spoon. Dust with black pepper. Serve immediately — the broth inside is scalding. Hold by the knot, bite a hole at the bottom first, drink the broth, then eat. Leave the knot on the plate.

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