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Mtiuluri Khinkali

Make Mtiuluri khinkali with beef, pork, onion and mountain cumin in a firm, broth-filled wrapper

Georgian home recipeGeorgian dish
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16:9: Wide platter of Mtiuluri dumplings, with a mountain view behind and one cut dumpling showing its juicy center.
Yield36 large dumplings
Serving6 dumplings; about 440 g raw ingredient allocation
DifficultyModerate to high; a firm dough and juicy filling need careful shaping and sealing
DietContains wheat (gluten); made with beef and pork; no egg or dairy
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The dish

About Mtiuluri Khinkali

Mtiuluri Khinkali: Georgian Mountain-Style Meat Dumplings

Mtiuluri khinkali are Georgian mountain-style soup dumplings associated with Mtiuleti. This version wraps a well-seasoned beef-and-pork filling in a firm, egg-free wheat dough. Onion, mountain-style cumin, black pepper and a little red pepper season the meat; this meat version contains no fresh herbs or garlic.

The dough needs a thorough knead and a covered rest so it can roll without springing back. The filling is deliberately hydrated with cold water, which combines with the meat juices during boiling to form the broth inside. Roll each wrapper with a slightly thicker center, pleat the edge around the filling and seal the top firmly.

Khinkali vary across Georgia, and home formulas differ in size, meat ratio, seasoning and pleat count. Mtiuluri is the mountain-style meat version; no exact number of folds is required here. Serve the dumplings hot and plain with black pepper, holding each by its topknot so you can sip the broth before eating the rest.

Cook the dish

Ingredients

Mtiuluri Khinkali: Georgian Mountain-Style Meat Dumplings

Dough

  • 1
  • 000 gall-purpose wheat flour
  • 450 mlcold water
  • 8 gfine salt
  • 20 gextra flour for dusting

Filling

  • 400 gchilled ground beef (about 85% lean)
  • 300 gchilled ground pork (about 80% lean)
  • 250 gyellow onion, finely minced or grated
  • 220 mlcold water
  • 3 gground cumin (about 1½ teaspoons
  • mountain-style cumin)
  • 3 gground black pepper (about 1½ teaspoons, divided between filling and serving)
  • 1 gred pepper flakes (about ½ teaspoon)
  • 8 gfine salt

Cooking water

  • 5 Lwater
  • 15 gfine salt. Most of this salt is discarded with the water and excluded from the nutrition estimate
Method

Method

  1. Mix and knead the dough. Whisk 8 g salt into 450 ml cold water. Add to 1,000 g flour and mix, then knead for 10–12 minutes until firm and smooth. The dough should feel stiffer than soft bread dough. Cover and rest for 30 minutes. Keep the extra 20 g flour for dusting.

  2. Season and hydrate the filling. Combine the chilled beef and pork with onion, cumin, 2 g black pepper, red pepper flakes and 8 g salt. Add 220 ml cold water in several additions, mixing each in completely. The filling should be moist and spoonable, not watery. Keep it chilled if the kitchen is warm.

  3. Roll and fill. Divide the dough into 36 equal pieces and keep them covered. Roll each into a 15–16 cm round, leaving the center slightly thicker than the edge. Put about 33 g filling in the center. Gather the rim into pleats, twist the top and press firmly to seal in the filling and broth. Set the dumplings apart on the lightly floured tray.

  4. Boil in batches. Bring 5 L water and 15 g salt to a boil in a large pot. Stir to make a gentle whirlpool and lower in up to 12 dumplings, leaving room for them to move. Stir carefully once so they do not stick to the bottom. Keep a steady, gentle boil rather than a violent one.

  5. Cook through and check. When a batch floats, boil it for 8–10 minutes more, until the firm wrappers are tender. Check the center of one representative dumpling with a clean instant-read thermometer; the meat must reach 71.1 °C (160 °F). Lift the dumplings out with a slotted spoon and bring the water back to a boil before cooking the next batch.

  6. Serve hot. Arrange the dumplings on a warm platter and use the remaining black pepper at the table. Hold each by its topknot, carefully bite the side and sip the hot broth before eating the meat and dough. The thicker topknot is commonly left on the plate.

Practical guidance

Success points

  • Add cold water to the meat in stages and mix it in completely; the filling should be moist and spoonable, not runny.
  • Seal every fold and leave room in the pot. A leak drains the broth, while crowding can tear the firm wrapper.
Practical guidance

Practical guidance

The wrapper should be firm enough to hold the filling, but not so dry that the pleats crack. Keep unused dough covered, and lightly flour the tray so shaped dumplings release easily. If a rim gets wet or smeared with meat, wipe it clean before pleating; a clean edge seals more reliably. Cook in batches with space around each dumpling, and avoid a violent boil that knocks them into one another.

For the best texture, cook only the number you plan to serve. Keep raw ground meat at or below 4 °C and use within 1–2 days. Refrigerate cooked dumplings in a shallow covered container within 2 hours; keep at or below 4 °C and use within 3–4 days. Reheat gently in a covered steamer until the center reaches 74 °C (165 °F). Vigorous boiling can split the wrapper and release the broth.

Serve as soon as the dumplings leave the pot. The broth inside is very hot, so make a small opening at the side and sip carefully. Black pepper is the only table seasoning in this version; the topknot gives you a handle without squeezing out the broth.

Nutrition per serving

Estimated nutrition per serving

  • Serving size: 6 dumplings; about 440 g raw ingredient allocation
  • Energy: ~900 kcal
  • Carbohydrate: 132 g
  • Protein: 39 g
  • Fat: 22 g
  • Fibre: 6 g
  • Sodium: ~1,130 mg

Approximate estimate for one sixth of the full recipe using general ingredient composition values. Dough and filling salt are included; the 15 g added to the cooking water is excluded because the water is discarded. The full batch provides about 5,380 kcal, 791 g carbohydrate, 234 g protein, 132 g fat, 34 g fibre and 6,800 mg sodium. Meat fat content and salt retained in the dumplings vary, so these are not laboratory values.

Allergens and food safety

Allergens and food safety

Contains wheat (gluten). Keep raw ground meat refrigerated and separate from ready-to-eat food. Wash hands, utensils and surfaces after handling raw meat; do not taste the uncooked filling. Check a representative dumpling with a clean instant-read thermometer: the meat center must reach at least 71.1 °C (160 °F). Floating and tender dough are quality cues and do not replace the temperature check. Refrigerate cooked leftovers within 2 hours.

Serving cues

Serving cues

  • The dough is tender but intact, the pleated top is closed, and the dumpling still holds its broth.
  • The dumplings should feel plump rather than waterlogged. Open a test dumpling to check texture and take the temperature before serving.
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