Meat Dumplings (Georgian Khinkali)

Georgian Khinkali dumplings originated in the mountain region. Perhaps an Asian influence. They are made with a combination of minced pork and beef and sometimes lamb. They are sometimes filled with mushrooms, potatoes or cheese. I made them with minced beef and pork and absolutely loved them. There is another type called kalakuri which are made the same way but greens and garlic are added to the minced meat. This is more popular in the urban areas. Although they look a little intimidating to make, they really aren’t and well worth the effort. Another interesting note is the nob on the top of the dumpling (called a belly button in Georgian) is not eaten, left on the plate to see who ate the most.

For the Dough:
2 lbs all-purpose flour, unbleached (1 kg)
water (500 mg)
sea salt

For the Filling:
½ 1b beef
½ 1b pork
2 onions, ,minced
sea salt
cumin, pinch
ground red pepper
black pepper, freshly ground

For the Dough:
Add salt to flour and pour in water and knead. After the dough is formed knead with your palms until you get a nice smooth elastic mass. Leave it for about a half an hour while you make the filling.

For the Filling:
In a bowl, combine the salt, pepper, a pinch of cumin to the meat. Add a bit of water just enough to make it wet, not diluted.

Put on a large pot of salted water on the stove to boil.

Roll out the dough until it is very thin about ¼" or less. Cut out round pieces about 6 inches in diameter. Put a tsp. full of the filling in the middle of the dough.

Start bringing up the edges of the dough forming a sack around the filling. You should have about 19 pleats to make the sack. Twist the top to enclose completely and place on a floured surface.

Work quickly and in batches as you don't want the filling to leak through the dough.

Place in the boiling water and cook until they swell and rise to the surface.

Remove them with a slotted spoon.

Sprinkle with black pepper and serve.

Makes 8 servings.