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Shida Kartli-Style Georgian Khinkali with Lamb, Beef and Broth

Make pleated Georgian khinkali with a juicy lamb-and-beef filling, onion, cumin and broth tucked inside each dumpling

Georgian home recipeGeorgian dish
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One opened khinkali shows juicy lamb-and-beef filling and broth inside its dough wrapper.
Yield8 portions (24 large khinkali; 3 per person)
Serving size3 dumplings, served plain with optional extra black pepper
DifficultyChallenging; firm dough, even rolling and a tight pleated seal keep the broth inside
Dietary classificationContains wheat (gluten), lamb and beef; check flour packaging for cross-contact information
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The dish

About Shida Kartli-Style Georgian Khinkali with Lamb, Beef and Broth

Khinkali are Georgian boiled dumplings shaped into pleated pouches, with seasoned meat and cooking liquid enclosed inside. The mountain versions are associated with lamb or beef, onion and restrained seasoning; recipes and fillings vary across Georgia. Shida Kartli is the setting of this transparent home variation, not the basis for a claim that the region has a unique or historically codified khinkali formula.

This version combines lamb shoulder and beef chuck for a rounded meat filling. Finely chopped onion, cumin and black pepper season it without the larger bundle of herbs often used in city-style fillings. Ice-cold water loosens the meat mixture and becomes the broth inside the dumplings. The dough should feel firm and smooth after kneading; keep the filling cold as you shape each dumpling.

Cook the dish

Ingredients

Dough

  • 900 gstrong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
  • 420 mlcold water
  • 15 gfine salt

Lamb and beef filling

  • 700 gground lamb shoulder, chilled; ask the butcher for one coarse grind or finely hand-chop
  • 300 gground beef chuck, chilled; ask the butcher for one coarse grind or finely hand-chop
  • 250 gyellow onion, very finely diced
  • 240 mlice-cold water, for loosening the filling and forming the broth
  • 9 gfine salt
  • 3 gground cumin
  • 2 gfreshly ground black pepper
  • 1 gred pepper flakes, optional
Method

Method

  1. Make and rest the dough. Stir the flour and 15 g salt together in a large bowl. Gradually add the cold water, mixing until a firm dough forms. Knead for 10–12 minutes, until smooth and elastic; it will feel sturdy rather than soft. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

  2. Season the filling. Keep the lamb and beef at 4 °C or below until ready to mix. Combine the lamb, beef, onion, 9 g salt, cumin, black pepper and optional red pepper flakes. Gradually work in the ice-cold water until the filling is moist and spoonable but not runny. Cover and return it to the refrigerator while you prepare the dough.

  3. Shape the dumplings. Divide the dough into 24 equal pieces, about 56 g each, and keep them covered. Roll one piece at a time on a lightly floured surface into a round about 15 cm across, leaving the middle just a little thicker. Place 60–63 g filling in the center. Lift the edge into small folds, pleating around the filling 18–20 times, then pinch the gathered neck firmly closed. Set each dumpling on the floured tray with space between them. Keep the remaining dough covered and the filling chilled as you work.

  4. Boil in batches and serve. Bring a large pot of water to a steady boil. Lower in 8 khinkali at a time, moving the pot gently by its handles so they do not stick. Once they float, boil for about 7–9 minutes. Test one from the first batch: cut into the filling and check the center with a thermometer; ground lamb and beef must reach 71 °C, and the dough should be cooked through. Adjust the remaining batches if needed. Lift out with a slotted spoon and serve at once, plain, with extra black pepper if desired.

Excerpt

Excerpt

These large Georgian dumplings are pleated around a juicy lamb-and-beef filling seasoned with onion, cumin and black pepper. Boil them in batches and serve hot, with the broth sealed inside each dumpling.

Practical guidance

Success points

  • Knead the dough until smooth, then rest it covered for 30 minutes so it rolls without springing back.
  • Roll each wrapper to about 15 cm across, leaving the center slightly thicker than the edge.
  • Add about 60–63 g filling per dumpling and gather 18–20 pleats; pinch the neck firmly closed so broth cannot leak.
  • Keep the filling and shaped dumplings cool while working. Cook in batches so the water returns to a boil and the dumplings have room to move.
  • Test one dumpling from the first batch. The dough must be cooked through and the ground-meat center must reach 71 °C.
Practical guidance

Practical guidance

  • If the dough springs back as you roll it, cover it and let it rest for another 10 minutes. Keep unused pieces covered so their surface does not dry.
  • If a wrapper tears, patch it with a small piece of dough and pinch the pleats closed. A loose seal lets the broth escape.
  • Do not crowd the pot. A crowded batch can lower the water temperature and make the dumplings stick; wait for a steady boil before adding the next batch.
  • Khinkali are usually eaten by hand. Hold a dumpling by its topknot, take a small careful bite and sip the hot broth before eating the rest. The topknot is doughy and is often left on the plate.
  • Refrigerate cooked leftovers within 2 hours at 4 °C or below, use within 3–4 days and reheat throughout to 74 °C. For the best texture, cook only what you plan to eat and freeze uncooked shaped dumplings on a tray before transferring them to a sealed container.
Nutrition per serving

Nutrition per serving

  • Serving size: 3 of 24 dumplings
  • Calories: About 760 kcal
  • Carbohydrate: About 85 g
  • Protein: About 36 g
  • Fat: About 30 g
  • Dietary fibre: About 4 g
  • Sodium: About 1,300 mg

These provisional estimates divide all dough and filling ingredients into 8 portions, using general USDA food-composition references for flour, lamb and beef. They assume all 24 dumplings are eaten and do not include optional pepper at the table. The fat percentage of the ground meat, flour brand and any filling or broth left behind can change the values.

Allergens and food safety

Allergens and food safety

Contains wheat (gluten), lamb and beef. Check the flour label for cross-contact details. Keep raw ground meat refrigerated at 4 °C or below, separate from ready-to-eat food, and wash and sanitize hands, work surfaces and utensils after handling. The center of the ground-meat filling must reach 71 °C; the fact that a dumpling floats is not a substitute for a thermometer check. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and reheat throughout to 74 °C.

To finish

To finish

  • Serve immediately, without sauce, so each dumpling keeps its broth inside until bitten.
  • Offer freshly ground black pepper at the table.
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