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The Dumpling 100 · make it at home

Georgian khinkali (twisted soup dumplings)

1 hr 30 min · About 16 large, 4 people

Big, juicy dumplings from the Georgian mountains, with spiced raw meat that makes its own broth as it boils. Hold the knot, bite, sip, then eat. The knot stays on the plate.

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You need

• For the dough: 500 g (4 cups) all-purpose flour
• 250 ml (1 cup) water
• 1 tsp salt
• For the filling: 300 g (2/3 lb) ground beef
• 300 g (2/3 lb) ground pork
• 1 onion, grated
• 2 garlic cloves, grated
• 15 g (1/2 cup) cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp chili flakes
• 250 ml (1 cup) cold water
• To serve: more black pepper

How to make it

1. Make the dough (10 min, plus 30 min rest): Mix flour and salt, add the water and knead 10 minutes into a stiff, smooth dough. Cover and rest.
2. Make the filling (10 min): Combine the meats, onion, garlic, cilantro, salt, pepper and spices. Add the cold water in three parts, mixing hard by hand after each until absorbed; it should be loose and sloppy. That water becomes the soup.
3. Roll (15 min): Roll the dough into a log and cut 16 pieces. Roll each into a 15 cm (6 in) circle, about 2 mm thick.
4. Pleat (25 min): Put 2 heaping tablespoons of filling in the center. Fold the edge up into pleats all around, at least 15 and up to 19 or more, gathering them into a point. Twist the top tightly and pinch off any excess dough above the knot.
5. Boil (12 min): Bring a big pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil. Drop in 6 to 8 at a time and stir gently so they don't stick. Boil 10 to 12 minutes after they float.
6. Serve: Lift onto a platter and grind lots of black pepper over. To eat, hold the knot, bite a small hole, sip the broth, then eat the rest. Leave the knot on the plate (counting knots is tradition).

Tips

• The more pleats the better, they say in Georgia; 19 is the boast.
• Leftover khinkali are excellent fried in butter the next day.

Chef Amazing's own home version of khinkali, in our words; not any restaurant's recipe.