Khinkali

Khinkali is a dish of Georgian cuisine that has become widespread in the Caucasus. More details about khinkali .

True Georgian-style khinkali - you have never eaten such delicious ones! The recipe for making the most delicious khinkali at home - how to sculpt, cook correctly, what kind of dough is needed for khinkali. Homemade khinkali - juicy and fragrant!

Khinkali is a national Georgian dish. Under no circumstances should they be associated with dumplings; this is a completely different dish, immediately consisting of a first and second course. Superbly tasty stuff! In this recipe, I will show you how easy it is to prepare homemade khinkali right at your home!

Very juicy, tasty, filling! I’ll immediately make a reservation that I will not create khinkali in the usual way, as they are prepared in Georgia. I’ll do it the way my family is used to eating. Homemade pork khinkali.

Khinkali is a legend of Georgian cuisine!

At the moment, it is already unrealistic to talk reliably about how khinkali arose, but I think no one can dispute the fact that Georgia without khinkali is not Georgia. Well, he won’t try. And God forbid you call khinkali a type of dumplings - you will offend both the cook and the entire Georgian people. Khinkali is khinkali, they differ quite significantly from dumplings.

Khinkali is a very tasty Georgian dish that knows no boundaries. Khinkali has been prepared in various countries for a long time. Get ready too!

Khinkali - recipe with photo. Khinkali is also called Georgian dumplings.

Khinkali with minced beef.

Khinkali recipes consist of making minced meat and dough. Minced meat can be created from lamb and pork, as this recipe outlines. Khinkali can also be made from 3/4 lamb and 1/4 beef. This khinkali recipe allows you to use ground meat for minced meat. But you can chop the meat finely with a knife.

Traditional khinkali - Georgian khinkali . The method of making khinkali varies in the cuisines of the peoples of the Caucasus. Making khinkali is not as easy as it seems; the main trick here is the ability to sculpt khinkali, to wrap khinkali with folds. To see how to make khinkali, how to cook (video on how to cook khinkali), the video will demonstrate better than any words. Also for this purpose, we advise you to look at how to cook khinkali (making recipe with photo), khinkali (recipe with photo) and khinkali (making photo). The recipe for khinkali can be made with or without eggs. The dough for the dumplings we recognize so well is similar to the dough for khinkali. The Georgian khinkali recipe can leave the choice of meat up to you: beef, pork or lamb. The recipe for khinkali with meat is not the only one; from time to time they use cheese or mushrooms for khinkali. Making khinkali is unimaginable without spices, and khinkali is always served with fragrant herbs, which impart a special taste to khinkali. The recipe for making real khinkali involves knowing how to correctly fold the folds of a bag of meat. There is a video recipe for khinkali for this. It is not enough to know how to create khinkali, it is also important to understand how to cook khinkali, how much to cook khinkali, or more precisely, how to cook khinkali . There are tricks on how to cook khinkali in a pan so that they don’t stick together during cooking. To do this, when the khinkali is almost ready, add cool water to the pan with the khinkali. A few words about how to cook khinkali in a slow cooker. To do this, use the Soup mode. Usually 20 minutes is enough. There is another option for cooking khinkali in a slow cooker - frying them. Now about how to create khinkali in a double boiler. Grease the grates with oil to prevent the khinkali from sticking, add water and cook for 30 minutes.

Khinkali - whose national dish

There are dishes that everyone knows, but not enough people understand what they should be. These include the famous Georgian khinkali, which for most inhabitants of the post-Soviet region have become a type of dumplings and manti. There are identical features between them, but if they are properly prepared, served, and eaten, then these are completely different dishes with their own taste properties that cannot be confused with anything else.

Where did Khinkali come from?

Georgian meat dumplings first appeared in the mountainous regions of Pshavi, Mtiuleti and Khevsureti. From there they began to quickly spread throughout the Caucasus, receiving changes in manufacturing technology and recipe. Any people brought something of their own in terms of ingredients, modeling techniques, cooking and endowed this dish with a flavor appropriate for a particular area. That’s why you can often hear a debate in the Caucasus about whose national dish is khinkali and how to properly prepare it. There are really a lot of recipes, each one is good in its own way, and they have nothing in common with the semi-finished products sold in our stores.

The historical fact has been established and, based on the etymology of the origin of the word, it has been confirmed that the homeland of khinkali is Georgia, and most literally, the city of Pshuari. There are many legends about how this national dish was invented. But the essence of these stories comes down to the fact that this food imparts strength and has healing qualities, especially the broth obtained during the cooking process. It is much healthier than chicken, which is why the dish included chopped lamb, onions, and garlic.

How to taste real khinkal

Attention, you need to pronounce the title correctly and clearly, otherwise Eastern people may not understand what you are talking about, because there are dishes in Dagestan and Azerbaijani cuisine with similar names - khinkal, khingal. But this is a completely different food. Therefore, if you want to experience real khinkali, then you need to move to the mountainous regions of Georgia and correctly create your own order. The towns of Dusheti, Mtskheta and Passanuri are usually famous for their khinkal. True gourmets come here to taste the famous Georgian dumpling.

You can create it easier, use the suggested recipes. Let us immediately clarify that there are strict requirements for a true traditional Georgian dish:

For the interior of khinkali, ordinary lamb or goat meat, always chopped, is used;
The dimensions must match the size of a walnut;
To make the dough, only flour and drinking water are used;
The highest part, called the umbilical cord or cap, must have at least 12 folds.

But no one has been using these rules for a long time, even in Georgia itself. The innards are pork, beef, and chicken. Variants of khinkali are also known, in which cheese, vegetables, and potatoes are placed instead of meat. Such dishes are suitable for those who strictly observe fasting. In appearance, they are also completely different, from completely small, no larger than a dumpling, to cyclopean ones the size of a plate.

Cooking in Georgian

Georgians understand their own state dish best of all; they know which version is the most delicious, how it should be prepared, what the composition of the ingredients is and how many goods are needed. They recommend preparing the more popular and beloved “kalakuri”. This is the name of the city khinkali, originally from Tbilisi, with pork and beef, spices and water dough. To make them, you will need to check whether all the ingredients are on hand and, if necessary, purchase the required element:

Flour for the dough is at least half a kilogram;
A kilogram of meat. Beef and pork 500 g each;
Onions – 300g;
Garlic;
A bunch of cilantro;
Salt;
Vegetable oil
Spices – dark pepper, dried cumin, thyme.

If you have everything at hand, then you can safely start making it.

Dough

The main difference between khinkali and dumplings is the broth that is held in it. Because of this, a typical tradition of serving the dish and eating it appeared. Therefore, the main requirement for the test is that it must not break. To achieve such a result, it is important to follow the technology of its production:

The flour is painstakingly sifted and a hole is made in the center, into which ice water is evenly poured and the resulting mixture is stirred. For 500 g of flour you need 250 ml of salted water. Salt must be one hundred percent dissolved in water;
Vegetable oil is added;
Knead the dough for at least 15 minutes until it becomes one hundred percent elastic and non-sticky;
Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes;
Roll out the rested dough to a thickness of 1.5 cm and cut out circles using a glass. It is recommended to roll it out to a thickness of about 2 mm and a diameter of 12 cm, then the bag will have elastic walls and will cook perfectly.

After placing the resulting minced meat into the dough, try to mold the khinkal, as in the photo, so that in the resulting bag of meat there is free space that will fill the broth.

Interior

For tasty khinkali to come out, they must be very juicy. To achieve this result, experts recommend choosing the right ratio of onions to meat, it should be 1 to 3. The filling should be prepared following the rules:

Choose meat without veins. For chopped innards, try to cut into small cubes. In the case of a meat grinder, choose a mesh with the largest holes;
For 1 kg of meat, you need to peel and cut 300 g of onion, based on the given good proportion of 1:3. To get the greatest amount of juice, it is recommended to grind the onion in a blender;
Finely chop the cilantro, crush 3 cloves of garlic and add to the meat together with the onion;
For this amount of inside it is recommended to add 1 tsp. salt and half a tsp. dark pepper and suneli hops, and 1 pinch each of thyme and dried cumin will be enough;
Mix everything and add 150 ml of warm water evenly.

The result should be a homogeneous meat mass, which is simply mixed with a spoon and there are no lumps in it. The finished filling must be kept in a closed container at room temperature for at least half an hour. After this, the minced meat can be placed on the prepared flat cakes in the amount of 1 tablespoon 40 g of insides per round mold. The standard flatbread must also weigh about 40 g. If this condition is met, the perfect proportion of dough to meat is 1:1. In this case, the khinkali is moderately boiled and turns out juicy and fragrant.

It is necessary to sculpt so that the end result is the shape shown in the photo. It may not work out the first time, but don’t despair; by evenly folding the edges of the cake, as in the video, and bringing them together upward, you can achieve the desired result. If you follow all the manufacturing rules, then from 1 kg of meat you will get 20 pieces of real Georgian khinkalina.

Cooking

The main thing is that the khinkali has a tail; by holding it, you can lower it into a pan of water to cook it, and later, after making it, eat it. Mastering this art is even more difficult than boiling them; you need to take hold of the tail and bite into the khinkalina so that it does not burst and you can drink all the broth that has formed inside. After this they begin to eat the base. Leave the tails, they are not eaten, they serve as a reminder of the amount eaten.

Cooking khinkali is very simple. This requires a wide pan so that they do not stick to each other, the walls and the bottom. Therefore, drop one thing at a time into boiling salted water and stir the water vigorously with a spoon. As soon as the khinkali turn over in the water with their tail down, mark the time - they need to be cooked for about 15 more minutes. After this, carefully remove from the water and place on a wide plate.

Bon appetit

Before serving khinkali, they are sprinkled with ground pepper. According to Georgian traditions, no sauces or bread are provided. Pickles and sour cream are allowed, and alcoholic drinks include chacha or beer. Wine does not harmonize with such food. It’s better to eat right away, before they cool down. In Georgia they say that cooled khinkali is no longer suitable for eating, because boiling it in water again will not work. But you can fry it in a frying pan, it turns out very tasty.

Khinkali: history of the dish and proven recipe

The main dish of Georgian cuisine has firmly become part of the diet throughout the post-Soviet space. In some ways it is similar to Russian dumplings, and in some ways to Mongolian manti. Those who are lucky enough to experience khinkali in their homeland will forever remain faithful admirers. Therefore, our next material will tell you all the most fascinating things about khinkali.

Historical reference

Khinkali originates from Georgian state cuisine. In some restaurants you can find another name - kalakuri. The second title arose with the development of the state cuisine of Georgia. So in the inside of the kalakuri you can find greens, potatoes, cheese or crayfish meat. But the shape of the sculpting is what allows you to immediately distinguish khinkali from all other dishes. Usually, they look like a molded bag with insides, closed with a folded tail, which you need to grab while eating. There is a myth that a real owner must create 18 folds for this ponytail. Another legend that Georgians adore so much tells us about the origin of this dish. So, in ancient times, one guy was wounded in the neck on the battlefield. His sister looked after him, and in order to somehow feed him (remember, the young man had a serious neck wound) she came up with a dish of rolled out flatbread and finely chopped meat. It was quite easy for the guy to bite into the dough so that the nutritious broth and meat would fall into his mouth and he could simply swallow them. So the girl managed to marry her brother.

Almost all other peoples of the Caucasus consider Khinkali their dish. Abkhazian and Armenian cuisines have their own version of production. But do not confuse Georgian khinkali with khinkali in Dagestan, Avar, Tabasaran, Kumyk (Lezgin), Lak, Tsakhur, Shepherd or Dargin cuisines. Among the Chechen state dishes there are the same khinkali, but with the name - zhizhig-galnash. Khingals are also different . Although they sound very similar, they are fundamentally different dishes. The only thing they have in common is the presence of dough and meat. You won’t call pasta in the navy way – khinkali?

How to knead the right dough

The most reliable method is ready-made dough from the store. Not all excellent housewives can knead the dough correctly. It doesn’t always come out, it often breaks and can ruin the dish. With the store-bought version there will be no such mistake, and the dish will still be prepared by you. You should not shy away from this method, because in Georgia itself, restaurants have a special master to prepare the dough, because it takes years of working with the dough to perfect the technique. An ideal option would be dough for khinkali and manti already cut into portions. But you can use dough for chebureks - the diameter will also suit you.

If you are still planning to do everything yourself, then the traditional dough recipe is as follows:

Flour - 3 cups + additional flour for rolling;
Water – 1 glass;
Salt – a big pinch.

The dough must be kneaded stiff, it must be kneaded well, and you must give it an hour so that the flour disperses perfectly. Another name for this process is “letting the dough rest.” Only after this can you begin rolling and sculpting.

On the Internet you can find recipes for dough with kefir, beer, yeast, with eggs, corn flour, and so on. To amaze guests, cuttlefish ink is added to the dough to create dark khinkali. But the correct base for the dough is salt, water and flour.

What filling should I add?

True homemade Georgian khinkali from the highlands is prepared from 2 types of meat, adding garlic, onions, spicy spices and water for juiciness. Minced meat is not used as meat, but finely chopped pulp is used. In modern cuisine, the recipe has changed significantly. This dish can also be found without meat: for the inside they take greens, cheese (usually suluguni), pumpkin, mushrooms, potatoes, cottage cheese, fish, shrimp, crab meat or seafood. Also, classic pork and beef are replaced with chicken, turkey or lamb.

The unique recipe is:

Pork – 400 gr;
Beef – 400 gr;
Broth or water – 1 glass;
Onions – 6 heads;
Garlic – 4 cloves;
Salt, pepper, herbs - to taste.

All ingredients are finely chopped and thoroughly mixed. Cilantro, basil, parsley or dill are excellent herbs.

How to sculpt

The best way to work with the dough is to form a sausage, cut it into slices, and then roll them out into circles. With all this, try to create the edges thinner than the middle. This will make the tail more neat. Place a spoonful of innards in the center of the dough and begin to form a pouch. To do this, we pull one side of the edge to the center, then fold by fold in a circle we bring all the edges together until we get a “fluffy skirt”. The “waist” must be pinched well with your fingers. You can trim the edge of the dough - it will be more attractive, or you can throw it - it will be more satisfying.

How to cook

In water. Molded khinkali are often boiled in water - this is a traditional way of making. A saucepan or slow cooker is suitable for this. You need to throw them into perfectly boiling water, which has previously been salted. If the khinkali is from a store, or with a quickly cooked interior, for example, with cheese, vegetables or herbs, then after boiling the water again, you need to cook it for about 10 minutes. If they are hand-made, or if chopped meat was added to the filling, then it is better to cook for about 20 minutes. Once everything is ready and you catch them, be sure to pour cool boiled water over them, and then grease the dough with vegetable or butter so that they do not stick together.

For a couple. To do this, you can use a slow cooker, a pressure cooker, or any type of double boiler. This way you can prepare both frozen and freshly prepared khinkali. During cooking, the dough softens and becomes sticky. To prevent the bag from perforating and all the juice from leaking out, grease the outside of the dough with vegetable oil. Also leave a distance between them of at least a centimeter. If you choose the “steamed” option, it is better to cook them for at least 30 minutes. This way the khinkali will have time to gain juiciness and cook well.

In the oven. Baked khinkali can be created in the oven. Grease a baking sheet with vegetable oil, and place the khinkali on it at a small distance from each other. Preheat the oven to 190 degrees, place a baking sheet in it, and pour a glass of water into the bottom. Bake for about 35-40 minutes.

In a frying pan. If you want to cook fried khinkali, in other words, there are two cooking options. Because the bags with the inside are quite huge, it is better to boil them in advance, and then give them 10 minutes to dry. Only after this can they be sent to the frying pan. If the bags are small, then you can immediately fry them over high heat, and then add a little water, cover and simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes.

How to store

Usually khinkali is prepared for one meal. While they are hot and only steaming, they are the most juicy and delicious. If you couldn’t eat everything, you can store them in the refrigerator, but no more than a day. Make sure that the edges do not dry out - put the rest in a pan or wrap it with cling film.

What to serve with and how to eat it correctly

To serve the dish, it is customary to serve sauces with finely chopped herbs. Sour cream with garlic, basil and cilantro is perfect. You can also serve tkemali or adjika.

It is customary to eat Khinkali with your hands. Grab the tail, bite the side and drink the broth. Then start with the meat and dough. If the tail is very large and thick, then you don’t have to eat it - that’s normal! It is better to present guests with beer or chacha as alcohol.

We hope our khinkali recipe will amuse you and your guests!

What spices are added to khinkali?

Spices for khinkali are of particular importance. They give the dish the taste and smell for which it is adored all over the world.

Historical reference

Tradition says that the dish has a very ancient history. Its origin is connected with military operations in Georgia. Wounded soldiers had difficulty chewing food.

Then the ladies invented a hearty meal from thin unleavened flatbreads boiled in broth. Pieces of chopped meat were twisted into them. It was enough for the fighters to bite through the tender dough and drink the fragrant broth with the inside.

The national Georgian dish in its initial traditional version contained water, flour, salt and meat. No spices were used in all this.

Khinkali quickly spread throughout the Caucasus and beyond. Any area has contributed to the creation of an unusual recipe. Previously, when making khinkali, they made it only from the freshest lamb. And they did not add herbs, spices and seasonings to the filling.

Nowadays you can find varieties of dishes made from beef, pork, chicken, or the consistency of different types of meat. Even the appearance of urban khinkali arose. Potatoes, cheese, mushrooms and even crayfish are used in their innards.

And at the moment, the preparation of this dish does not like haste. And sculpting this culinary miracle is akin to true art. The pinnacle of craftsmanship is considered to be a product in which 36 small folds were formed during its development.

But only real specialists in this matter can do this, and for all amateurs it is considered common to create at least 18 folds when developing a curled tail for a bag with inside. When sculpting, in the process of preparing the spice base, finely chopped onion, salt and pepper are added to the meat.

Spices for khinkali

In modern cooking, the question of what spices are needed for khinkali is easily resolved. These are the seasonings that add heat, spiciness and a breathtaking smell of Caucasian cuisine to the dish, which is difficult to confuse with the rest of the product.

Usually, these are spices in minced khinkali, created for a specific meat. They do not interrupt its taste, but rather emphasize it. These include:

And, naturally, a lot of greenery is cilantro. Those who don’t like this herb can replace it with parsley and green onions.

What seasoning is used for Georgian khinkali? What spices are added to the minced meat for this dish? Making the base and choosing spices are of particular importance in the development of this dish. It is believed that if the inside is incorrect, then the dish was not a success. Here's what you need to pay special attention to:

Ratio of meat and onions. It is usually believed that it should be 1:4. If there are fewer onions, the minced meat will not be juicy enough. And if it’s more, the smell of onions will overwhelm the taste of the main product.
For one kilogram of meat you need approximately one glass of ice water. The minced meat is diluted with it to achieve the appropriate juiciness. Ice water prevents the product from immediately releasing juice and the dough in the finished dish does not become soggy. Local residents consider a tablespoon to be an aspect of the correct mixture of minced meat. If you put it in the filling and it falls, then there is enough water.

Production of prefabricated minced meat

To make perfect interior for khinkali, the following products and spices will be useful:

0.5 kg lean pork, the same amount of beef;
0.2 kg onions (or 2 onions), 1 tbsp. ice water;
1 bunch of cilantro, 3 cloves of garlic, 1 tsp. cumin and suneli hops;
0.5 tsp each dried mint and coriander, 1 red hot pepper, salt to taste.

For spicy lovers, you can add 1 teaspoon each of chili pepper and dry adjika.
Step-by-step manufacturing notes:

Wash the meat and dry it with a cardboard towel. Carefully remove all veins. Cut the base into very small pieces or grind it in a meat grinder through a large mesh.
Finely chop the onion and garlic and add to the meat. Remove seeds from hot peppers, finely chop peppers and cilantro. Add to bowl.
Add all other spices, salt and mix. It is better to do this with your hands to give the minced meat elasticity. Pour half a glass of water into a bowl and stir well. The inside mixture should resemble sour cream.

If the base comes out compacted, add water little by little to bring the minced meat to a suitable state. According to this recipe, the inside comes out juicy and fragrant.

Chicken fillet fillet

Diet food lovers can prepare this dish using chicken breast as a base. The amount of spices for khinkali in this recipe is less. And they are not so spicy, and the food comes out tender and juicy. For production you will need:

0.5 kg chicken breast, 2 small onions;
1 medium-sized carrot, 50–70 g butter;
2/3 tbsp. cool water, 1 tbsp. vegetable oil;
salt and ground dark pepper to taste.

Minced meat preparation method:

Pass the peeled carrots through a meat grinder and simmer lightly (3-4 minutes) in a frying pan in vegetable oil, adding 2-3 tablespoons of water.
Wash the chicken breast and dry it with a cardboard towel. Pass through a meat grinder together with the onion.
Place everything in a bowl and add:
- stewed carrots;
- softened butter;
- salt and pepper to taste. Mix well until smooth.
Add cool water evenly and bring the minced meat to a suitable mixture.

Dough recipe

The composition of the seasoning for khinkali can be completely different. It all depends on your goals and personal preferences. Someone wants to cook true Georgian khinkali - spicy, fragrant.