I have been to Georgia several times and the first thing I always eat is khinkali. They cost in Tbilisi, if translated into ours, 15 rubles per piece or 50 tetri! You take 7 pieces for a hundred and overeat.
If you are an ardent fan Georgian cuisine, then khinkali are worth trying to cook. Modeling this dish is considered a real art, requiring a creative approach and originality.
There is no rush to prepare this delicious dish, so it is best to prepare khinkali on the weekend. You will learn more about how to sculpt and cook khinkali by reading this article, in which I will explain in detail and step by step.
— Don’t drink khinkali with wine, Georgians believe that beer is much better
Some landscapes. I filmed it in November.
View of the mighty Caucasus Mountains
I cook khinkali in Georgia, Mtskheta, local cafe.
I cook khinkali in Georgia, Mtskheta
I cook khinkali in Mtskheta, Georgia. Khinkali is ready!
Read my full review for more details
The main ingredients in the khinkali recipe are flour, water and meat. However, before you start cooking, it’s worth mastering the secrets of Georgian chefs, which will make the process of cooking at home easier.
Preparing the dough and minced meat for khinkali
The secret to preparing the dough is very simple - just stick to the required consistency when kneading. Ideal dough for khinkali, step by step recipe from the photo of which is presented below, it should have sufficient elasticity and softness, but at the same time not tear during sculpting. The test preparation process takes place in several stages with short breaks. To save time during these breaks, you can start preparing the minced meat.
Without properly prepared minced meat, khinkali will not work. According to Georgian traditions, previously only lamb was used for this dish. After some time, various variations of khinkali appeared, combining several types of meat. In modern khinkali you can find beef or pork, both individually and in combination with lamb meat.
When preparing the traditional and extremely appetizing khinkali presented in the photo, the meat must be finely chopped into small pieces. To improve the taste, it is recommended to add chopped onions. Water is added to the almost finished minced meat, which makes it possible to add juiciness to the finished dish. If you still prefer rolled meat, then use a large grinding grid for this.
To give the dish a unique aroma, add cilantro, parsley or mint to the minced meat to taste. You can use a mixture of Georgian herbs - and then your dish will be impossible to distinguish from the traditional one made in Georgia.
Features of preparing and serving Georgian khinkali
Having understood the intricacies of preparing dough and minced meat for khinkali, you can begin to sculpt them. To do this, you need to roll out the dough into a sausage with a diameter of 3 cm, cut it into “nickels” the thickness of a finger and roll them out to a thickness of 3 mm, and a diameter of 12-15 cm. Then a tablespoon of minced meat is placed in each circle. And here awaits you the most exciting stage in preparing khinkali - creating a bag with folds. Famous Georgian chefs manage to create khinkali with about thirty-six folds. A novice cook can create literally twenty folds.
— Khinkali is not eaten with sauces, as there is a lot of broth inside
When creating bags of minced meat, you should pay attention to how tightly you pinch the resulting tail. If you rush and do not secure the edges of the curled tail, then during cooking the delicious broth will simply flow out of the khinkali. It is also worth considering that when cooking khinkali, a broth is formed, so you should not be overzealous with the amount of minced meat, otherwise the dough will simply break - and all efforts will be in vain.
Machine for sculpting khinkali and a lot of khinkali
How to cook khinkali? — The secret of cooking khinkali is quite simple: just arm yourself with a large container of water and cook in several stages. Khinkali should never be crowded. It is recommended to stir very carefully during cooking so as not to damage the almost finished dish. This should be done not with a metal, but with a wooden spatula. Make sure that the water does not boil too much - otherwise the bags may open, losing the precious broth. The average cooking time for khinkali is six to seven minutes.
Chef Niko with whom I studied in Telavi
Gourmets recommend serving khinkali hot, after sprinkling them with coarse black pepper. It is customary to eat Khinkali with your hands - this is the only way you can experience all the facets of the taste of this unusual dish with a truly Georgian flavor. Below is a recipe for making khinkali at home.
— If the khinkali has cooled down on the plate, ask them to fry it. Fried khinkali is a separate story.
Khinkali was first prepared in the mountainous regions of Georgia, but soon the recipe was learned in other regions of the Caucasus. In fact, the similarity between khinkali and dumplings lies only in the composition of the dough and filling, since preparing a Georgian dish requires real skill, because khinkali is molded like a bag with pleats such as pleated or corrugated and there must be at least 18 folds. The more skillful the housewife, the more she makes folds, some Georgian craftswomen prepare khinkali with 36 folds, which is considered the pinnacle of culinary art. Another feature of khinkali is its very juicy filling, which is meat in broth, and you need to prepare the dish in such a way that the filling does not leak out. In general, khinkali is a dish that is not made in a hurry; it needs to be prepared “with feeling, with sense, with care”, choosing a free day, for example a weekend. You can involve the whole family in this activity - it will be fun!
How to prepare khinkali dough
The classic dough is kneaded from water and flour, without adding eggs, but modern housewives use eggs and vegetable oil - this dough turns out tastier and more elastic. However, many Georgian chefs categorically reject all kinds of additives, especially eggs, arguing that the yolks turn the unique khinkali dough into ordinary pasta. It is advisable to take durum flour and be sure to sift it so that it is saturated with oxygen, and the ideal ratio of water and flour is 1:2.
The dough is kneaded in 3-4 stages, resting in between - this method makes it possible to obtain a tight dough.
How to properly prepare the filling for khinkali
Once upon a time in Georgia, the filling for khinkali was made only from lamb, but now cooks more often use beef, veal and pork, mixing different types of meat, and sometimes lamb is added to the minced meat for a piquant taste. In classical cooking methods, meat is not ground in a meat grinder, it is finely chopped with a very sharp knife - like onions, and then broth, milk, cream or boiled water is added to this mass. In order for the meat to be chopped well, it must first be placed in the freezer for 15 minutes.
The minced meat should not float in the water, but should not remain dry, so add so much water so that the filling is juicy, but not liquid - until it has the consistency of thick sour cream. If you decide to grind the meat through a meat grinder, use a grid with large holes, then the filling will be similar to the traditional one, which is prepared in the mountainous regions of Georgia. You can add garlic, cumin, suneli hops, pepper and cilantro to the minced meat - with seasonings it will turn out much tastier. Georgian chefs advise leaving the minced meat for 20 minutes after adding spices and salt so that it marinates well.
Making khinkali correctly
Roll out the finished dough into a layer 5 mm thick, cut out circles with a regular glass, then roll each into a flat cake with a diameter of up to 15 cm and a thickness of 2 mm. Place a tablespoon of minced meat on the flatbread, lift the edges and fold them together in a circle. Use the fingers of one hand to hold the finished folds, and with the other hand continue to make new ones - soon you will have a neat bag into which you need to pour a teaspoon of broth or the juice released from the minced meat. Next, the folds are connected into a beautiful and tight knot, which is sometimes twisted and cut. If you don't have time to make folds, just connect the edges of the cake in the form of a bag. By the way, in order for the products to cook well, you need to take 100 g of minced meat per 100 g of dough.
How to cook khinkali
Khinkali is boiled in salted water with bay leaves, trying to prevent them from sticking to the bottom. It is important to understand how long to cook khinkali so that the minced meat is ready, but the products are not overcooked. After the khinkali float to the surface, cook them for about 10 minutes, and then scoop them out with a slotted spoon and place them on a plate. How long to cook khinkali depends on their size, but it is better to cook no longer than 20 minutes, otherwise they will boil. Khinkali in a multicooker turns out no less tasty - to do this, pour water into the multicooker bowl, add Bay leaf, turn on the “Soup” mode, and when the water boils, add the khinkali and cook for 15-20 minutes. You can also steam them y, placing the products on a greased steaming bowl y, in this case the cooking time will be approximately half an hour.
Serve hot, poured with melted butter, with coarse pepper, herbs, sour cream and tkemali sauce - after all, this is a Georgian dish! They eat khinkali with their hands, holding it by the tail, carefully biting it so that the juice remains in the mouth. If you use a knife and fork, you won’t get any pleasure from eating, because the juice will remain on the plate.
A few secrets on how to cook khinkali at home
Some chefs advise not to skimp on onions for minced meat, recommending taking three onions per half a kilo of meat so that the filling is juicier and tastier. Knead the minced meat for at least 15 minutes - the longer you do this, the better the liquid is absorbed, and the filling will be more uniform, soft and juicy.
Do not put too much filling on the flatbread, otherwise there will be no room left for the broth, and connect the folds of the khinkali in such a way that there is not even a small hole left for the juice to flow out.
Make as much khinkali as you can cook in a pan at the same time, otherwise the dough will become soggy from the wet filling. Georgian “dumplings” should not be cramped - let them float freely, otherwise they will stick together and become deformed. In Georgia, khinkali are not stirred during cooking, but are carefully shaken so as not to stick together. Before removing the khinkali from the pan, pour a glass of cold water into it so that they are not too hot before serving.
Homemade khinkali: step-by-step recipe with photos
Ingredients: for the dough: flour - 3 cups, water - 1.5 cups, vegetable oil - 3 tbsp. l., egg - 1 pc., for filling: beef - 700 g, lamb - 300 g, onion - 2 pcs., cilantro - 1 bunch, Svan salt - 1 tsp.
If you don’t have Svan salt, you can make this seasoning yourself, which contains: salt medium or coarse grind, chopped garlic, dried cilantro (can be replaced with coriander), dried dill or its seeds, ground red pepper. Ground cumin, saffron and crushed fenugreek pods are also added to Svan salt.
Cooking method:
1. Pour half the flour into a mound, make a well, pour the oil into it and break the egg.
2. Knead the dough, gradually adding slightly salted cold water. You should get a homogeneous and soft mass.
3. Let the dough rest for half an hour, covered with a towel.
4. Add the remaining flour and knead the dough well again for 10-15 minutes.
5. Leave the dough again for half an hour under the towel.
6. Knead the dough one last time - if it seems sticky, add a little more flour. Wrap the dough in cling film - in this form it can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
7. Scroll through a meat grinder or finely chop the meat and onions.
8. Finely chop the cilantro.
9. Add salt to the minced meat and knead it well, gradually adding 0.5 cups of water.
10. Roll out the dough and cut out circles 2-3 mm thick with a glass.
11. Place 1 tbsp in the middle. l. filling, lift the edges and pinch the “bag” with folds, as described above.
12. Boil water with bay leaf in a large saucepan.
13. Drop a small amount of khinkali and cook for 15 minutes.
14. Serve the dish on the table piping hot, pouring butter, with sour cream, any sauces, herbs and pepper.
The traditional khinkali recipe can be varied by using different types of dough and meat, unusual seasonings and additives. Very tasty khinkali from yeast dough Also, many housewives add vegetables to meat or prepare vegetable, cheese and mushroom khinkali, and serve sweet khinkali with dried fruits and nuts as a dessert.
Khinkali with pumpkin
These khinkali, reminiscent of manti with pumpkin, are good during Lent. Knead unleavened dough from 300 g wheat flour, 2 tbsp. l. vegetable oil, pinches of salt and water, while just enough water is required to make a soft and fairly tight dough. After this, cover the dough with a towel and start filling.
Cut 300 g of pumpkin pulp, cleared of seeds and peel, into pieces, finely chop the onion and 50 g of lard, and then mix all the ingredients. Roll out the dough into a layer, cut out circles with a glass, roll out the flatbreads and place the filling in the middle of each. Lift the edges of the tortillas and make nice folds all around, bring them together and pinch them well. Boil the khinkali in salted water for 10 minutes after floating to the surface. Serve with sour cream and herbs.
Khinkali with chicken and cheese
It's very tasty and original dish which children love very much. Knead the dough from 500 g of flour, 1 egg, a pinch of salt and about 1 glass of water - the dough should be non-sticky and elastic. Leave it for a while and prepare the filling. Pass 400 g through a meat grinder chicken fillet and 1 onion, although you can grind the meat and onions in a blender or food processor. Add salt and pepper to taste, 50 ml of meat broth and 100 g of any grated cheese to the minced meat. Mix all the ingredients well into a homogeneous mass, and then cut out circles from the dough, fill them with minced meat and wrap the edges on top like a bag. Boil khinkali for 15 minutes and serve with creamy sauce.
Khinkali is not just food, but a real symbol of Georgia; they treat this dish with great reverence. In some areas, khinkali are made smaller than dumplings, in others - the size of a soup bowl, with different fillings and spices used. Prepare khinkali according to different recipes, they are all unusual, bright and incredibly tasty!
- In the center of Tbilisi, the menu of almost every khinkali cafe has the most different types: with meat, potatoes, mushrooms, with everything in the world. How to choose? Just try and find your format. But the most “correct” in Tbilisi are considered to be khinkali kalakuri - this is a city recipe with meat and herbs.
- The perfect khinkali is molded by hand and has 28 folds. It's not just like that. 28 — sacred number, because sun in a big circle celestial sphere passes in 28 days. The tail of the khinkali was considered the sun, and the folds were considered rays. This is ideal, but khinkali can be beautiful with fewer folds.
- Do not drink khinkali with wine. Beer would be much better.
- Khinkali is not eaten with sauces, as there is already broth inside. Just sprinkle the khinkali with ground black pepper.
- Khinkali is eaten with hands. Smack, squelch, slurp - there is no time for decency here. You have to manage to eat the khinkali without a single drop of the aromatic juice ending up on the plate.
- The homeland of khinkali is Pasanauri. This is a village on the way to Kazbegi. If you manage to find yourself in those parts, take the time and try the local khinkali. They are completely different - small, fattier and very, very tasty.
- If you didn’t calculate your strength, ordered too much, and the khinkali on the plate got cold, ask them to fry them. Fried khinkali are a separate story. Believe me, you will get a second wind!
- In Tbilisi, khinkali are good almost everywhere. But for our taste they are especially successful in the Maspindzelo restaurant, the Pasanauri cafe at the top of Rustaveli and in the Alani dukhan near the sulfur baths.
- According to one version, khinkali was prepared in honor of the Georgian sun goddess Varvara. Therefore, on December 21 - Varvarin Day - there were always khinkali on the table.
- Well, and for a snack - either a parable, or a fable, or an anecdote: Comrade Khrushchev once came to Georgia for a visit. We were fed and watered, including khinkali. Of course, he, like every guest, was taught that khinkali is eaten with hands and the tails are thrown away. The great innovator found out that Georgia at that time consumed 250 million khinkali per year. Based on the mass, it turned out that Georgians throw away more than a ton of flour in the form of tails premium in year. And the comrade innovator ordered to stop the supply of premium flour to Georgia. Greedy.
