Khinkali

A good khinkali, or Georgian soup dumpling, is said to be judged by how many folds it has: Fewer than 20 is considered amateurish, according to tradition. When a tray of pepper-flecked khinkali arrives at the table, though, counting pleats is never the first thing on anyone's mind. Eating the khinkali is a rush job that requires precision skill; if you don't learn the latter, you'll be teased if you're in Georgian company. To begin with, khinkali is a finger food: Make a claw with your fingers and grab the topknot of the dumpling. After that, slurp out the soup by biting a small hole on the side and sinking your teeth into the filling. Remove the topknot, drink a few swigs of beer, sigh with delight, and repeat.

Historians believe the Tartars, who governed what is now Georgia and Armenia for the majority of the 13th century, brought khinkali to the region, which exhibits a strong resemblance to Central Asian manti. The best sakhinkles (khinkali houses) are reported to be located in Pasanauri, a town 50 miles north of Tbilisi, where natural mountain herbs such as summer savory and ombalo mint are used to flavor the filling. If a khinkali trip isn't in the cards, folks in Tbilisi go to Khinklis Sakhli, a popular neighborhood hangout.

Ingredients

• Filling: 1 1/2 pounds (.68 kg) ground beef, 1 1/2 pounds (.68 kg) ground pork, 4 tablespoons (71 g) butter, softened (optional but recommended if using lean meat), 1 1/4 cups (375 ml) water, 2 small onions, minced, 3 cloves garlic, minced, 1 small bunch cilantro with stems, minced (1/2 cup packed), 1/2 teaspoon (1 g) red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon (5.9 g) salt
• For the Dough: 4 1/2 cups (563 g) all-purpose flour, plus additional for rolling, 1 cup (237 ml) warm water, 1 teaspoon (5.9 g) kosher salt

Instructions

• Combine all of the ingredients for the filling and set aside
• Heat water until it is hot but not boiling.
• Combine the water with sifted flour and salt.
• When all of the ingredients are combined, begin to kneed the dough. The dough should be dry enough not to stick to
• your fingers. Continue to add small amounts of flour until a smooth ball is formed. The dough should be very stiff, similar to pie crust.
• Cover the dough and all it to sit for 15 minutes in a warm dry place.
• Knead for an additional 6 minutes, then set aside.
• Dumplings
• Cut the dough into 2 equal parts.
• Roll the dough out on a clean floured surface.
• Cut the dough into 3" rounds, using a form such as a cookie cutter.
• Roll out each round until it is about 5 inches in diameter.
• Place 1 1/2 tablespoons of filling in the center of the dough round.
• Pin the dumpling using an accordion style fold.
• Pinch the top tightly to ensure no filling can escape.
• Place the dumplings in a pot of salted boiling water. When they float to the surface after about 7 minutes (bottom side up) they are done.
• Place the dumplings on a serving platter.
• Sprinkle with finely ground pepper (optional) and serve immediately.