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Khinkali (Georgian Topknot Dumplings)
A recipe for Khinkali (Georgian Topknot Dumplings)! These savory dumplings are filled with a seasoned meat mixture and paired with a garlic-vinegar dipping sauce.
Prep Time
40 mins
Cook Time
40 mins
Additional Time
30 mins
Total Time
1 hr 20 mins
Servings: 20 -24 Dumplings
Course:
Appetizer
Cuisine:
Georgian
Ingredients
Dough:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour plus extra for surfaces
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup water
Filling:
- 1 pound ground lamb, beef, veal, or pork (or a mixture)
- 1/2 cup chopped scallion greens
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- Generous grinding of black pepper
Garlic-Vinegar Dipping Sauce:
- 10 medium crisp fresh garlic cloves (3 tablespoons garlic paste)
- Pinch sea salt
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar or cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons water
- Pinch sugar
- finely chopped fresh cilantro optional
Instructions
To make the dough:
- Place the flour and salt in a bowl, add the water, and mix well. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for a couple of minutes, until smooth.
- Alternatively, place the flour and salt in a food processor and, with the processor running, add the water through the feed tube. Process just until the dough comes together, then turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly. If the dough is still sticky, aadd more flour to your work surface and knead it in.
- Seal the dough in a plastic bag and set aside for at least 30 minutes, or up to 6 hours.
Cup of Yum
To make the filling:
- Mix all the ingredients for the filling in a bowl and knead well to blend them together, then cover and set aside (refrigerate if the wait will be longer than an hour).
To assemble:
- Half an hour before you want to serve the dumplings, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat and add 2 tablespoons salt. Cover and keep at a simmer while you prepare the dumplings.
- Flour your work surface and turn the dough out. Cut it into 4 pieces. Flatten and stretch one piece of dough, or use a rolling pin to roll it out; you want a thin oval about 10 inches long.
- Use the rim of a jar or bowl that is about 4 inches in diameter as a guide and cut out circles with a knife, cutting them close together. Pull the scraps together, roll out again, and cut out another circle or two.
- Fill the first circles: Place a generous tablespoon of filling in the center of one circle. Pull up a bit of the edge and then another bit next to it, pleating the second one over the first, and continue around the circle until you have created a pillow with a gathered top. Pinch the top 1/2 inch below the top edges of the dough and twist to seal the topknot well. Set aside on a well-floured surface.
- Repeat to fill the remaining rolled-out circles of dough. (If your kitchen is very dry, cover the shaped dumplings loosely with plastic wrap or a slightly damp cloth.) Then stretch or roll out a second piece of dough and make more dumplings.
- Once the first two batches are shaped, bring the pot of water back to a vigorous boil and toss in the dumplings. They will sink to the bottom and rise again after 5 to 7 minutes; once they have floated up, boil for another minute. Meanwhile, roll out the other pieces of dough and shape the rest of the dumplings.
- Lift the cooked dumplings out of the pot with a slotted spoon and serve immediately in individual bowls or on a serving plate. Serve the sauce of your choice on the side. Cook and serve the remaining dumplings.
To make the Garlic-Vinegar Dipping Sauce:
- Mash the garlic to a paste with the salt in a mortar or small food processor, or finely mince and mash with a spoon.
- Place in a small bowl, add the vinegar, water, and sugar, and stir to blend. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Stir in the coriander if you wish.