Khinkali

Ingredients

• 1⅓ lbwheat flourfor the dough
• 1⅛ cupswaterfor the dough, as needed
• 2 tspsaltfor dough and filling
• 14⅛ ozBeefcoarsely ground
• 10½ ozporkcoarsely ground
• 2onionvery finely chopped or ground with the meat
• ¾ cupice water or meat brothworked into the filling gradually, creates the broth
• 1 tspblack pepperin the filling and for sprinkling
• 1¾ ozfresh corianderfinely chopped
• 2 clovesgarlicvery finely chopped (optional)
• 2 tspCuminground
• 1 tspchillito taste
• summer savoryto taste, dried (optional)
• 1 tbspvegetable oilinto the dough (optional)
• 1egginto the dough (optional)
• vinegarfor serving (optional)

Method

1. Mix the wheat flour with salt, add the water bit by bit, and knead for 15 to 30 minutes into a firm, elastic dough; if you like, work in the vegetable oil and an egg as well.
2. Cover the dough and let it rest: about 30 minutes at room temperature, or up to 2 hours in the fridge.
3. Coarsely grind or very finely chop the ground beef and pork with the onions and the chopped cilantro, adding the garlic if you like.
4. Fold in the salt, black pepper, cumin and chili flakes, mix everything thoroughly, and add summer savory to taste.
5. Stirring constantly, work the ice water or broth into the filling a little at a time until it is loose and juicy — this is what turns into the broth inside the dumplings.
6. Roll the dough out 1 to 2 mm thin and cut out rounds of 10 to 15 cm, or divide it into portions and roll each one out separately.
7. Place a heaping tablespoon of filling in the middle of each round, pleat the edge all the way around, gather it upward, twist the knot tight and pinch off the excess tail so it stays short.
8. Cook the khinkali in batches in plenty of boiling salted water, keeping the water moving so nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot; once they float, let them carry on cooking for 7 to 12 minutes in total.
9. Lift them out carefully with a slotted spoon, sprinkle with black pepper and serve hot — eat them with your hands by the little dough knot, never with a fork.

Tips and variations

The dough works just as well kept purist, with nothing but flour, water and salt, as it does with egg and oil, or with oil alone. For seasoning you can go with cumin and chili or with summer savory and pepper; swapping the ice water for meat broth gives the filling more flavor, while leaving the liquid out altogether means less broth inside. For khinkali in the kalakuri (city) style, fresh cilantro and parsley go into the filling. You can pour cold water over the dumplings just before lifting them out. Serve them with vinegar, or with fresh herbs and sauces — and the same dough with the same filling can also be shaped into fried turnovers (chebureki).