Autentic Georgian Khinkali Recipe

Directions

Prepare the Dough

1. Add sifted flour and salt into a large bowl and make a well in the center. Gradually add water to the flour, and using a wooden spoon, mix everything until just combined. Once you can no longer stir the dough with a spoon, turn it out onto a clean work surface.

2. Knead the dough for ten minutes. Pour some oil into a clean bowl and place the dough ball into it. Roll the dough ball around to cover it in oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and allow to rest for 1 hr.

Filling Preparation

1. In a medium-sized bowl, combine ground beef, pork, finely minced onion, pepper flakes, cilantro, and salt, and mix to combine. Once combined, gradually add in the water while stirring vigorously. The meat filling will be slightly soupy- exactly what we want.

Forming Khinkali:

1. Divide the dough into four equal parts. Take one piece to work with and cover the rest tightly with plastic wrap to prevent drying out. Dust the work surface with flour. Roll the dough out until it is 1mm thick with a rolling pin.

2. Cut out as many dough rounds as possible using a round cookie cutter (4 inches). The leftover scraps can be combined and used again- roll out and cut out the rounds.

3. Take one dough round, gently stretch it out and place about 1 tbsp of the filling in the center of the dough round. Lift one edge of the dough round and begin creating pleats about 1 cm apart all the way around. Once you make it all the way, pinch the dough stem and twist it to close. For a neater look, take a pair of scissors and cut the top of the stem. Place on a well-floured surface and cover with a kitchen towel. Repeat with the rest of the dough