Khinkali — Georgian Soup Dumplings

Khinkali are the national dumpling of Georgia — large, twisted, knob-topped pouches of thin dough
filled with spiced meat and a precious reservoir of broth. The proper way to eat one: pick it up by
the topknot, bite a small hole, drink the broth, then eat the rest. Never touch them with a fork.

FASTING LEVEL: Non-Fasting (beef and pork filling)

SERVINGS: 6 (makes 24-30 khinkali)
TIME: 2 hours

INGREDIENTS:
For the dough:
- 500 g all-purpose flour
- 250 ml cold water
- 1 teaspoon salt

For the filling:
- 400 g ground beef
- 300 g ground pork
- 2 medium onions, grated
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 150 ml cold beef broth or water
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground blue fenugreek (utskho suneli), or regular fenugreek
- 1 teaspoon dried summer savory
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 0.5 teaspoon cayenne

For serving:
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Red wine (Saperavi) or Georgian tarragon soda

METHOD:
1. Make dough: combine flour, salt, and water. Knead 10 minutes until very smooth. Wrap tightly and rest 30 minutes.
2. Make filling: combine meats, grated onions (with their juices), garlic, cilantro, spices, and salt. Mix in cold broth gradually — the mixture should be quite wet.
3. Roll dough into a long rope. Cut into 30 g pieces. Roll each piece paper-thin into a 12 cm round, keeping the centre slightly thicker than the edges.
4. Place 1 heaping tablespoon of filling in the centre. Gather the edges up and pleat them, accordion-style, around the filling — aim for 18-20 pleats. Twist and pinch the top firmly to seal, leaving a small stem. This is the famous topknot.
5. Bring a very large pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil. Drop khinkali gently one at a time, working in batches of 6-8. Stir gently once to prevent sticking.
6. Cook 10-12 minutes — they are done when they float and the dough is translucent. Remove with a slotted spoon.
7. Serve immediately, drizzled with black pepper. No sauce, no fork.

NOTES:
- The cold broth in the filling creates the signature soup pocket. Do not skip it.
- The topknot stem (kudi) is not eaten — it is the handle. Pile them up on your plate to count your khinkali.
- Pleat count is a mark of skill. A master khinkali maker aims for 28 pleats. Start with whatever you can.
- Leftover khinkali freeze well raw on a floured tray. Cook from frozen, adding 3 minutes to the boil.

NUTRITION (per 4 khinkali, approximate):
Calories: 510 | Protein: 28 g | Carbohydrates: 52 g | Fat: 20 g | Fibre: 2 g