Name: Khinkali
Prep time: 1 h 5 min
Cook time: 32 min
Total time: 2 h 17 min
Cuisine: Georgian
Ingredients: 500 g strong white bread flour; reserve 20 g from this amount for dusting; 7 g fine salt; 250 ml cold water, added gradually; 350 g ground beef, about 15–20% fat, kept cold; 150 g ground pork, about 15–20% fat, kept cold; 150 g onion, very finely chopped or grated; 15 g fresh coriander (cilantro), finely chopped; 15 g fresh parsley, finely chopped; 7 g fine salt; 2 g ground black pepper; 1 g ground cumin; 1 g coarse red pepper flakes; 180 ml ice-cold water, mixed in gradually; 4 l water; 20 g salt for the boiling water; most will be discarded; 1 g ground black pepper, for serving

Wide view of Khinkali on a rustic table, with the serving setting visible around it.

Yield20 dumplings

Serving basis3 dumplings, about 240 g cooked

DifficultyIntermediate

Dietary classificationContains beef and pork

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The dish

About Khinkali

Khinkali are large Georgian dumplings folded around seasoned meat and the broth it releases as it cooks. This home-kitchen kalakuri-style version combines beef and pork with onion, herbs, cumin, and pepper, then boils the sealed dumplings until the filling is safely cooked and juicy.

Khinkali are associated with Georgia’s mountain regions, while the city-style kalakuri filling described by Georgia Travel combines beef and pork with onion, herbs, pepper, and cumin. The dough is gathered into folds at the top to enclose the seasoned meat and measured cold water. As the dumplings boil, the sealed filling becomes a pocket of savoury broth.

This is one practical version, not a single canonical formula: fillings and seasoning vary across Georgia. The key is a firm dough that rolls thin without tearing, a loose but not separated filling, and a completely pinched top. Do not worry about reaching a fixed number of folds; close each dumpling securely.

Serve the dumplings as soon as they are drained, with black pepper. Hold one by its gathered top, take a small careful bite, and let some broth cool before eating. It can be very hot.

Cook the dish

Ingredients

Khinkali: Georgian Kalakuri-Style Beef and Pork Dumplings

Dough

500 gstrong white bread flour; reserve 20 g from this amount for dusting
7 gfine salt
250 mlcold water, added gradually

Meat filling

350 gground beef, about 15–20% fat, kept cold
150 gground pork, about 15–20% fat, kept cold
150 gonion, very finely chopped or grated
15 gfresh coriander (cilantro), finely chopped
15 gfresh parsley, finely chopped
7 gfine salt
2 gground black pepper
1 gground cumin
1 gcoarse red pepper flakes
180 mlice-cold water, mixed in gradually

For boiling and serving

4 lwater
20 gsalt for the boiling water; most will be discarded
1 gground black pepper, for serving

Method

Mix the dough. Combine the flour and 7 g salt in a large bowl. Add the cold water gradually, mixing until it gathers into a firm dough.
Knead and chill. Knead on a work surface for 8–10 minutes until smooth and firm. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes at 4 °C or below.
Re-knead and rest. Knead the dough briefly for about 1 minute, cover, and let it rest for 10 minutes while you prepare the filling.
Season the meat. In a large chilled bowl, mix the beef, pork, onion, coriander, parsley, 7 g salt, black pepper, cumin, and red pepper until evenly combined. Keep the meat at 4 °C or below while you work.
Add the water. Stir in the 180 ml ice-cold water a little at a time. The filling should be loose and spoonable, with no pool of separated water. Keep it chilled until shaping.
Divide and roll. Divide the dough into 20 equal pieces, keeping unused pieces covered. Roll each on a lightly dusted surface into a circle about 12 cm wide and roughly 2 mm thick.
Fill and pleat. Spoon about 40 g filling into the centre of each wrapper. Gather the edge into folds, bring them together at the top, and pinch completely closed with no visible gap. Keep shaped dumplings covered while you finish the rest.
Boil the first batch. Bring 4 l water and 20 g salt to a steady boil in a large pot. Lower in 8–10 dumplings without crowding. Gently move the water with a spoon so they do not stick to the bottom. When they rise to the surface, boil for about 10 more minutes, then check a large dumpling from the batch. The meat centre must reach at least 71 °C. If it is below that, boil for 2 minutes more and check again. Allow about 16 minutes for this batch.
Boil the second batch. Lift out the cooked dumplings with a slotted spoon and repeat with the remaining dumplings. Check one from this batch in the same way; the centre must also reach 71 °C. The two batches take about 32 minutes in total.
Drain and serve. Lift each dumpling gently onto a warm platter so the wrapper stays intact. Serve immediately with ground black pepper. Warn diners that the broth inside is very hot.

Serving, storage, and substitutions

Serve the dumplings straight away with black pepper. Hold each by its gathered top, bite carefully at the side, and let the broth cool slightly before sipping. The filling contains both beef and pork; do not describe this version as pork-free. Georgia has other khinkali fillings, including mutton, cheese, potato, and mushroom, but each is a distinct version rather than a direct substitution in this recipe.

The dough can be made, covered, and refrigerated for up to 24 hours. Keep the meat mixture covered at 4 °C or below, and mix in its cold water on the day of shaping. Shape and cook soon after filling.

Refrigerate cooked leftovers within 2 hours in a covered container at 4 °C or below, and use within 3–4 days. Reheat gently in simmering water or in a covered microwave-safe dish with a spoonful of water until the centre reaches 74 °C. The wrappers may split, so handle them carefully. Freeze cooked, cooled dumplings in a single layer, then transfer to an airtight container and use within 2 months for best quality. Reheat from frozen until the centre reaches 74 °C.

Nutrition per serving

Serving size: 3 dumplings, about 240 g cooked
Calories: 475 kcal
Carbohydrate: 59 g
Protein: 24 g
Fat: 16 g
Fibre: 3 g
Sodium: 890 mg

Allergens and food safety

Contains wheat/gluten. This version also contains both beef and pork. Keep the raw meat at 4 °C or below, wash hands and utensils after handling it, and prevent contact with ready-to-eat foods. Check the centre of a dumpling from each batch with a food thermometer; ground meat must reach at least 71 °C. Refrigerate cooked leftovers within 2 hours and reheat them to 74 °C.

Closing

You will make 20 dumplings with firm pleated tops and a juicy beef-and-pork centre.
Seal each top fully and cook in uncrowded batches; a thermometer confirms the ground meat is safe.