Name: Mokhevuri Chopped Khinkali with Beef, Caraway and Savory
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 1 h 50 min
Cuisine: Georgian
Ingredients: 720 g all-purpose wheat flour, plus up to 30 g for dusting or dry dough adjustment; 350 ml room-temperature water; 14 g fine salt; 700 g lean beef, very finely hand-chopped and kept cold; 180 g yellow onion, peeled and very finely chopped; 12 g garlic, peeled and finely minced; 210 ml ice-cold water; 10 g fine salt; 3 g ground caraway; 4 g dried summer savory, crumbled; 5 litres water; 15 g salt

Freshly boiled Mokhevuri khinkali on a wooden board beside a steaming pot.

Yield24 khinkali; 6 servings of 4

Serving size4 boiled dumplings

DifficultyModerate; firm dough and pleating take practice

Dietary classificationContains wheat (gluten) and beef

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The dish

About Mokhevuri Chopped Khinkali with Beef, Caraway and Savory

Mokhevuri khinkali is a Georgian dumpling associated with Khevi. This measured home version fills it with hand-chopped beef, caraway, summer savory, onion and garlic; it does not claim to be the only or canonical Khevi formula.

The dough is mixed from flour, water and salt, then rested so it rolls without springing back. Finely hand-chopped beef gives the filling a distinct, slightly coarse texture. Onion, garlic, caraway and summer savory season the meat; cold water is mixed in gradually to help keep the filling juicy inside the sealed wrapper.

Make the wrappers about 12 cm across and leave their centres slightly thicker than the edges. Gather each one into compact pleats and pinch it closed. Cook in batches so the water can return to a steady boil, then check the centre of a test dumpling with a thermometer. Serve the khinkali hot, while the broth remains inside.

Cook the dish

Ingredients

Dough

720 gall-purpose wheat flour, plus up to 30 g for dusting or dry dough adjustment
350 mlroom-temperature water
14 gfine salt

Beef filling

700 glean beef, very finely hand-chopped and kept cold
180 gyellow onion, peeled and very finely chopped
12 ggarlic, peeled and finely minced
210 mlice-cold water
10 gfine salt
3 gground caraway
4 gdried summer savory, crumbled

Cooking water

5litres water
15 gsalt

Method

Mix and rest the dough. Combine the flour and 14 g salt. Add 350 ml room-temperature water and mix to a stiff dough. Knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic, using only enough of the reserved flour to prevent sticking. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
Season the beef. Very finely hand-chop the cold beef. In a chilled bowl, combine it with the onion, garlic, 10 g filling salt, caraway and savory. Gradually mix in the ice-cold water until absorbed and the filling looks juicy. Cover and refrigerate while shaping.
Roll the wrappers. Divide the rested dough into 24 equal pieces. Roll each into a disc about 12 cm wide, leaving the centre slightly thicker than the edge. Keep unused dough covered.
Fill and pleat. Place about 46 g filling in the centre of each disc. Gather the edge into compact pleats and pinch the top firmly closed. Check that no filling is exposed. Keep shaped dumplings covered and away from ready-to-eat foods.
Boil in batches. Bring 5 litres water and 15 g salt to a full boil in a wide pot. Lower in khinkali without crowding and stir gently once to keep them from sticking. When they float, boil for another 3–4 minutes; adjust for dumpling size and how quickly the water returns to a boil.
Check and serve. Check the centre of a test dumpling with an instant-read thermometer; the chopped-beef filling must reach at least 71 °C (160 °F). If needed, return the batch to the boil and check another dumpling. Lift out with a slotted spoon and serve immediately.
Store leftovers safely. Transfer leftovers to shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours at or below 4 °C. Use within 3–4 days and reheat to 74 °C at the centre.

Excerpt

Firm, hand-pleated dumplings hold a juicy filling of finely chopped beef, onion, garlic, caraway and savory. Boil them in batches and check one dumpling with a thermometer before serving.

Practical guidance

Practical notes

Hand-chop the beef finely. Small, even pieces make the filling easier to portion and help each dumpling cook consistently. If using coarsely ground beef instead, keep it cold and use the same thermometer check.

Keep the filling cool. Work with a chilled bowl and shape the dumplings in batches. If the kitchen is warm or shaping takes a while, return the remaining filling to the refrigerator.

Freeze uncooked dumplings. Arrange them in one layer on a flour-dusted tray and freeze until firm, then transfer to a sealed freezer container. Boil from frozen without thawing; allow extra time and still confirm 71 °C at the centre of a test dumpling.

Do not crowd the pot. Too many dumplings can lower the water temperature and cause wrappers to stick or split. Let the water return to a boil between batches.

Nutrition per serving

Estimated nutrition per serving

Serving size: 4 khinkali, one-sixth of the batch
Energy: About 660 kcal
Carbohydrates: About 95 g
Protein: About 36 g
Fat: About 13 g
Fibre: About 4 g
Sodium: About 1,650 mg

These are provisional estimates based on representative food-composition values for flour, lean beef, onion and garlic. The calculation includes dough and filling salt; most salt added to the boiling water stays in the pot. Beef leanness, flour absorbed during kneading, dough scraps and salt retention change the actual values.

Allergens and food safety

Contains wheat (gluten). Check flour labels and cross-contact statements. Keep raw beef and its juices separate from ready-to-eat foods; wash hands, knives, boards and bowls after handling. Because the filling is finely chopped, check a test dumpling with a food thermometer and cook the centre to at least 71 °C (160 °F). Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers within 2 hours at or below 4 °C, use within 3–4 days and reheat to 74 °C.

The result

Each dumpling has a firm, pleated wrapper around a juicy chopped-beef filling.
Caraway, savory, onion and garlic give the filling a clear savoury flavour without a sauce.