Tbilisi city khinkali by Nana Chechelashvili
12 servings
40 minutes
Tbilisi's city khinkali by Nana Chechelashvili is a refined embodiment of Georgian culinary tradition. Unlike rural versions, these khinkali have an elegant shape with neat folds and tender, juicy filling. The mixture of beef and pork, complemented by spicy 'Georgian pesto', gives the filling a deep aroma, while the dough rolled in a special way becomes elastic and soft. During cooking, they fill with meat juice, creating unforgettable taste sensations. The recipe's history traces back to Tbilisi's kitchen traditions where each housewife perfected her skill in making khinkali. These exquisite dumplings are served hot sprinkled with black pepper and eaten by carefully biting into them to enjoy the broth inside. Tbilisi khinkali is not just food but an art form symbolizing hospitality and culinary mastery.
1
Dough: in a deep bowl, pour the flour, add 1 tablespoon of salt without a heap, and start kneading, gradually adding water (400 ml) and sunflower oil.
- Wheat flour: 1 kg
- Salt: 2 tablespoons
- Water: 470 ml
- Vegetable oil: 1 tablespoon
2
You can knead by hand, but it's more convenient to use a mixer with a dough attachment or a bread maker that has a dough kneading function.
3
After the mass becomes homogeneous and elastic, shape it into a ball, cover it with food wrap, and leave it for 20 minutes.
4
Prepare the filling: clean the meat from sinews and chop finely. Pass onion, cilantro stems, chili pepper, garlic, and fat through a meat grinder. In a deep bowl, mix the meat with the prepared 'Georgian pesto', add salt (a tablespoon without a heap) and pepper, and add finely chopped cilantro leaves. Add 70 ml of water and mix thoroughly. The consistency should be liquid but homogeneous.
- Pork: 250 g
- Veal: 250 g
- Pork fat: 50 g
- Onion: 1 piece
- Green chili pepper: 1 piece
- Garlic: 2 cloves
- Fresh cilantro (coriander): 80 g
- Salt: 2 tablespoons
- Ground black pepper: to taste
- Ground red pepper: to taste
- Water: 470 ml
5
Roll the dough into a sausage about 4 centimeters in diameter and cut it into pieces 3-4 cm thick.
6
Shape each piece into a ball, then dusting with flour, roll it out into a thin flatbread 3 mm thick.
7
You need to roll the same ball at least ten times for the dough to become more elastic.
8
Place about 50 g of minced meat in the center of a thin flatbread and, lifting the edges of the dough, fold them in a circular accordion shape: pinch the dough with one hand while gathering the folds with the other.
- Pork: 250 g
- Veal: 250 g
9
Press the formed tail and cut off the excess tip with a knife. Shake the khinkali slightly so that the meat juice remains in the bottom part after boiling.
10
In a pot of salted boiling water, swirl with a spoon, drop the khinkali in the center, stir once more (to ensure they don't stick together), and let cook for 7-8 minutes.
- Salt: 2 tablespoons