Khinkali recipe; Make A Delicious Georgian Dumplings at Home!

One of the most popular and delicious foods you can eat when traveling to Georgia is Khinkali. These soupy, steamed, and tasty meatballs are one of the national dishes of Georgia. 

Georgian cuisine is undoubtedly one of the most underrated cuisines in the world, which is influenced by Greece and the Mediterranean, Turkey, and Iran. Khinkali (also spelled Chinkali or Xinkali) is a type of stuffed pasta dumpling that is a favorite dish of Georgia. These dumplings are similar to Chinese soup (Xiao Long Bao) but much larger and bite-sized. These hearty little dumplings are usually served on large plates and shared.

How to Eat khinkali? 

To eat Khinkali, grab it with your fingers and eat it from the top of the dumpling. You can pour it over the broth to cool. When it cools down, it is ready to eat. You can scoop out the broth and then shape the rest of the meatballs and repeat. The khinkali handle is traditionally thrown away; the handle only lets you know how much khinkali you have eaten. Khinkali is often served with another favorite Georgian dish, khachapuri (freshly baked bread with cheese), a delicious Georgian alternative to pizza.

How to Make Khinkali?

Ingredients for the Dough

• 4 and a half cups flour plus extra for work surface 
• 1 cup warm water 
• 1 teaspoon Salt 
• 1 egg

Ingredients for Inside Khinkali

• 750 grams of beef 
• 500 grams of minced pork 
• 4 tablespoons of softened butter 
• 1 and 1/4 cups water 
• 2 small chopped onions 
• 3 chopped garlic cloves
• 1 bunch of chopped cilantro with stems 
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper 
• 1 teaspoon of salt

Directions

Step One

The dough is the first thing you need to make when making your khinkali. The dough recipe is straightforward to make. All you need is flour, a little salt, eggs, and some water. Pour your flour into a large bowl and mix it with a bit of salt to make it flavorful. Then add an egg to it. 

Step Two

Pour some water and mix until the flour is combined with the egg and water, forming a powdery dough. If necessary, add more water. It is better to be careful; add less water than you think and add little water if needed while kneading. Because in this case, you can more easily control the dough so that it is not too sticky.

Step Three

After forming the dough, roll it on a lightly floured work surface and knead the dough with your hands for about 5 minutes. This step is necessary to produce a level of gluten in the dough that allows you to shape it into meatballs easily. Your dough should form quickly and not stick to your hands.

Step Four

After the dough is kneading, place it in a clean bowl where you have greased the bottom and sides (to prevent sticking!), cover it, and set it aside. 

Step Five

Cut the dough into 2 equal parts and spread it on a clean, floured surface with a rolling pin. Using a glass or a round pastry mold, mold the dough to a diameter of 3 cm and then smooth and spread each part with a rolling pin. 

Step Six

Mix the meat with all the mentioned ingredients and knead. Take 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of meat, place it in the middle of the dough, and wrap and fold it around the dough in accordion style. 

Step Seven

Secure the top to prevent the contents from spilling out. Place the meatballs in a pot of boiling salted water. When they float to the surface (bottom side up) after about 7 minutes, they are done cooking. 

How to Serve Khinkali?

Put the meatballs on a serving dish, sprinkle black pepper, and enjoy it.

Do not forget to make this recipe and share it with us. If you also have questions about the Khinkali recipe, please do not hesitate to ask.

 FAQs About Khinkali

• How much time does Khinkali need to get ready?

It takes about 3 hours to get ready.