About this Dish
Georgian soup dumplings — large, pleated parcels of dough filled with spiced minced meat in broth, held by the topknot and eaten by biting a small hole in the side and slurping the soup before eating the rest. The topknot is never eaten — it is left on the plate and counted to measure how many were eaten. A sign of pride to eat more than your companions.
IngredientsServes 4
🌾Plain flour, 500g plus extra for dusting
🧂Salt, 1 tsp
💧Cold water, 200ml
🥩Beef mince (20% fat), 300g
🐷Pork mince, 200g
🧅White onion, 2 medium, very finely grated
🌿Fresh coriander, small bunch, finely chopped
🌶️Ground cumin, 1 tsp, and chilli flakes, ½ tsp
🫙Cold beef stock or water, 150ml for the filling
🫙Black pepper, 1 tsp freshly ground
Method
1
Mix flour and salt in a large bowl, then slowly pour in cold water, mixing until a shaggy dough forms. Knead firmly on a floured surface for 8–10 minutes until smooth and stiff — this dough should be tougher than pasta dough to hold the hot broth. Wrap in cling film and rest for 30 minutes.2
Combine both minces, grated onion, coriander, cumin, chilli flakes, a generous pinch of salt, and plenty of black pepper in a bowl. Gradually work in the cold stock or water, mixing vigorously with your hands until the filling is loose and almost soupy — this liquid becomes the precious broth inside.3
Roll the dough out to about 3mm thick and cut into circles roughly 12cm in diameter — use a large glass or bowl as a guide. You should get around 15–18 circles.4
Place a generous tablespoon of the loose filling into the centre of each circle. Gather the edges of the dough upward around the filling and make tight, overlapping pleats all the way around — aim for at least 18 pleats — then twist and pinch firmly at the top to form a thick topknot. The seal must be tight or the broth will escape during cooking.5
Bring a very large pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil. Lower the khinkali in carefully — they need plenty of room — and stir gently once to stop them sticking to the bottom. Cook for 12–15 minutes until the dough looks slightly translucent and the topknots are firm.6
Remove with a slotted spoon onto a plate. To eat, hold the topknot, bite a small hole in the side, slurp the hot broth first, then eat the rest of the dumpling. Leave the topknots on the plate — the pile of knots is your tally, and a long count is something to brag about.User Reviews
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