Gaby
Ингредиенты:
For the dough: 3 cups of flour,
1 tsp salt,
2 tbsp oil,
200 ml ice-cold water
For the filling: 500 g ground meat,
1 onion,
salt,
pepper,
150 ml ice-cold water
Let me start with a little backstory. This summer, we went on vacation, and someone recommended a restaurant to us. I tend to be quite picky about dining out, but I do love good restaurants. I was absolutely blown away by both the restaurant and the food. I’ve never been to such a warm, welcoming place even back home in Kyiv. I think about it now and just swoon—I could have gone there every day. It turns out that every summer, a Georgian chef comes to this restaurant. I have a lot of respect for Georgian cuisine and even cook some of the dishes myself, so I decided to try the ones I make (mainly to see if I’m doing them right) along with some new ones, of course. It turned out that my chakapuli (a Georgian meat stew) was quite decent—my husband savored it and admitted that mine was just as tasty as the professional chef’s. However, the khinkali (Georgian dumplings) at that restaurant completely blew us away. Once we got home, I scoured the internet, found some recipes, made a few adjustments, and gave it a shot—it seemed to work out.
First, let’s make the filling. It’s very simple. Grind fatty meat; I use a mix of pork and beef. Also, pass the onion through the grinder. Add salt and freshly ground pepper (don’t hold back!). Then, gradually pour in the ice-cold water, mix well, and beat the mixture. Place the finished filling in the refrigerator.
Making the dough will take a bit longer. First, sift the flour through a sieve. Mix 2 cups of flour with salt and oil. Gradually add the cold water to knead a sticky dough. Cover it with a towel and let it rest for about half an hour. Then, add 2/3 cup of flour, knead well until you have a firm dough, and let it rest for another half hour. After that, add the remaining flour, knead until the dough is very firm but elastic. Wrap it in plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for another half hour.
Roll out the finished dough fairly thin (about 2-3 mm) and cut out circles with a diameter of 5.5-6.5 inches. Place 1 tablespoon of filling in the center of each circle, gather the dough into a pouch, and seal it well, twisting the top slightly to prevent it from coming undone.
In a large pot, bring water to a boil, add salt, and carefully drop the pouches into the boiling water. Cook without stirring for 15 minutes.
Serve the khinkali with freshly ground pepper. For me, the best part of khinkali is the juice that’s held inside the dough pouch. It’s crucial not to lose it before serving. That’s why all this dough work is so important. The khinkali turn out quite large and delicious; an adult can fill up on 5-6 of them. Just be careful while eating so the juice doesn’t run down your chin.
