Khinkali

Method

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1. Mix the flour, salt and cold water and knead 12 minutes to a very firm dough — firmer than pasta. Wrap and rest 40 minutes.

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2. Mix both minces with the onion, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, chilli and coriander.

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3. Beat in the iced water a little at a time until the filling is loose and sloppy — it should look too wet. That is the soup.

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4. Refrigerate the filling 30 minutes.

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5. Roll the dough thin, about 2 mm, and cut 14 cm circles. Roll each circle out again from the edges so the rim is thinner than the centre.

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6. Hold a circle in your palm and put 2 heaped tablespoons of filling in the middle.

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7. Pleat the edge around with your fingers, turning as you go, folding at least 18 pleats and gathering them upward.

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8. Twist the gathered top firmly into a knot and pinch off the very tip.

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9. Boil in a wide pot of well-salted water, stirring the water first so they do not stick. Cook 8 minutes from the moment they float.

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10. Lift out, grind coarse black pepper over, and eat by holding the knot, biting a small hole, drinking the broth and then eating the rest.

    Mark done

Chef’s Tips

• The filling should look far too wet. That water becomes the broth.
• Thin rim, thicker centre. It is what makes the pleating possible.
• Stir the water before they go in, and never let it boil violently.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.

Pairing Suggestions

• A Georgian red such as Saperavi
• Coarse black pepper
• Pickled vegetables

Storage & Reheating

Freeze raw on trays for 3 months and boil from frozen, adding 3 minutes.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.