Khinkali(ხინკალი): the Georgian soup dumpling

Khinkali(ხინკალი) are like a mini three course dinner all by themselves. You have a pasta, a meatball, and a soup all in one package. They come from the mountains of Georgia north of Tbilisi though their origin story is a bit of a mystery. Some say they came from Mongolian traders while others say it originated as a edible representation of the ancient Borjgali sun symbol. But what matters most is that they are delicious.

On today's episode, we are going to explore a bit of khinkali history, try out a local restaurant(Bevri in Palo Alto,) and finally show you how to make it at home.

Recipe

dough ingredients:
500 g flour
250 mL water
2 teaspoons salt

instructions:
1. mix until combined, and knead for 5 minutes or until cohesive(it doesnt have to be smooth). Cover and let sit for at least 20 minutes.
2. after resting, knead until smooth(about 1 minute), and portion into disks of your preferred size (I did 50 gram disks)
3. roll out by putting more pressure along the edges of the disk to keep the middle thicker.

filling:
500 grams ground meat of your choice
1.5 cups water
1.5 tsp salt
200 grams grated onion
1.5 tsp ground black pepper
1.5 tsp chili flakes
1 tsp ground caraway/ajwain/fennel seed
3 tbsp cilantro

assembly:
1. take a piece of dough in hand, and place about a tablespoon of filling in the middle
2. pinch the edges of the dough(lightly moistening with water if necessary) until completely sealed. Try to prevent large air bubbles inside the dumpling which can cause it to fall apart.
4. press to seal the top and snip off the rough tip with scissors
5. boil in heavily salted water until floating. Allow to cook for 5 more minutes.
6. serve with black pepper and optional cilantro.

tips:
-add whatever spices you want! The ones included in this recipe are the absolute basics
-add enough water to the filling to make it soupy, but not to the point at which you see water separating in the raw state(this will make pleating very messy)
-use a moist finger to wet the edges of the dough circles when pleating if they are not sticking well
-be extra careful to not have translucent patches in the dough disks as these will be weak spots when cooking.
-place the khinkali one by one in the pot to prevent sticking, and do not bother them too much while they are boiling.

Drink pairings: Georgia is a major wine drinking nation, so try and go for something Georgian if you can get it! look for bottles labeled (qvevri) which indicates that they were fermented in large Georgian clay basins. This dish is quite rich, so go for something with complimentary heft or contrasting acidity.

red: Saperavi(classic), cabernet(boring), primitivo/zinfandel(rich), sangiovese(bright)
white: Tsolikauri(classic), sauvignon blanc(grassy), voignier(rich but low acid)
beer: yes
non alcoholic: Pomegranate juice, Natakhtari lemonade, mineral water

resources:

Bevri:
335 University Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94301
https://www.bevri.com/

Borjgali connection?:
https://nlinemedia.co.uk/a-georgian-s...

Map of Georgia:
United States Central Intelligence Agency. (1999) Georgia. [Washington, D.C.: Central Intelligence Agency] [Map] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/99463529/.

gluten science:
High molecular weight glutenin: Takata K, Matsushita K, Goshima D, Nakamura T, Yamauchi H. Analysis of the relationship between bread-making quality and dough stress during the proofing process using near-isogenic lines of 'Harunoakebono'. Breed Sci. 2019 Sep;69(3):478-486. doi: 10.1270/jsbbs.19045. Epub 2019 Aug 1. PMID: 31598081; PMCID: PMC6776135.

timestamps:
00:00 - intro
00:34 - history
01:05 - Bevri restaurant review
02:02 - dough prep
02:43 - filling prep
03:42 - assembly
04:37 - cooking time
04:48 - dinnertime