Gaby
Ingredients:
For the dough: 3 cups of flour,
1 tsp salt,
2 tbsp oil,
200 ml ice-cold water
For the filling: 500 g ground meat,
1 onion,
salt,
pepper,
150 ml ice-cold water
Let me start with a little backstory. This summer we went on vacation, and someone recommended a restaurant to us. I tend to be pretty picky about dining out, but I love a good meal. I was absolutely blown away by the place and the food. I’ve never been to such a warm, welcoming spot even back home in Kyiv. I still swoon thinking about it — I could have gone there every day. It turns out a Georgian chef comes to the restaurant each summer. I respect Georgian cuisine a lot and even cook some of the dishes myself, so I decided to try the ones I make (mostly to see if I’m doing them right) plus a few new ones. My chakapuli (a Georgian meat stew) turned out quite decent — my husband savored it and admitted mine was as tasty as the professional chef’s. But the khinkali (Georgian dumplings) there completely blew us away. Once we got home, I scoured the internet, found some recipes, made a few adjustments, and gave it a shot — it seemed to work out.
First, let’s make the filling. It’s very simple. Grind fatty meat; I use a mix of pork and beef. Run the onion through the grinder as well. Add salt and freshly ground pepper (don’t hold back!). Then gradually pour in the ice-cold water, mix well, and beat the mixture until it’s cohesive. Place the finished filling in the refrigerator.
Making the dough will take a bit longer. First, sift the flour through a sieve. Mix 2 cups of flour with the salt and oil. Gradually add the cold water and knead the mixture into a sticky dough. Cover the dough with a towel and let it rest for about half an hour. Then add 2/3 cup of flour and knead the dough well until it becomes firm; let it rest for another half hour. After that, add the remaining flour and knead the dough until it’s very firm but still elastic. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for another half hour.
Roll out the finished dough fairly thin (about 2-3 mm) and cut out circles with a diameter of 5.5-6.5 cm. Place 1 tablespoon of filling in the center of each circle, gather the dough into a pouch, and seal it well, twisting the top slightly to prevent it from coming undone.
In a large pot, bring water to a boil, add salt, and carefully drop the pouches into the boiling water. Cook them without stirring for 15 minutes.
Serve the khinkali with freshly ground pepper. For me, the best part of khinkali is the juice held inside the dough pouch. It’s crucial not to lose that juice before serving. That’s why all this dough work matters. The khinkali turn out quite large and delicious; an adult can get full on 5-6 of them. Just be careful while eating so the juice doesn’t run down your chin.
