Ingredients
Dough
- 4 cups (500 grams) all purpose flour, spooned and leveled*
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup (240 ml) warm water
Filling
- ½ pound (225 grams) ground beef
- ½ pound (225 grams) ground pork
- 1 large yellow onion, grated with liquid*
- 1 bunch (40 grams) cilantro, chopped (use leaves and thin stems)
- 1 ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground caraway seed (optional)
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ cup water, room temperature
Instructions
Dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour and salt. Briefly mix to evenly distribute the salt. To make the dough by hand, see recipe notes.
- With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the warm water. Once the dough comes together, increase speed to medium-low and continue mixing 10 minutes. The dough will be quite firm and a bit rough.
- Cover the dough tightly and let rest at room temperature for two hours. This resting period allows the gluten to relax, making the dough smoother and easier to work with.
Filling
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Combine the ground beef, ground pork, grated onion, cilantro, salt, caraway (if using) and pepper flakes in a large mixing bowl.
- Pour in the room temperature water and knead with your hands until the filling has absorbed the water.
Assembly
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Divide the dough in half. Roll out the dough to about ⅛-inch (3mm) thickness. NOTE: Make sure to keep any dough you’re not working with covered with a kitchen towel so it doesn’t dry out.
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Cut out 3.5 inch (9 cm) circles using a cookie cutter or the rim of a glass. Re-roll the scraps of dough and cut out more circles. Use a rolling pin to roll each circle into a larger circle of about 5 inches (13 cm). It helps to make the center of the circle thicker and the edges thinner.
- Working with one piece of dough at a time, place 2 tablespoons of filling in the center of the dough circle. Gather the edges of the dough, almost like forming a pouch, and begin pleating the dough. Pinch the Khinkali together to seal. Optional: If you have a lot of excess dough, you can use kitchen scissors to trim the ends.
- Transfer the Khinkali to a parchment paper-lined pan lightly dusted with flour. Repeat steps 1-5 with the second half of dough.
Cooking
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Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.
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Place the Khinkali in the water and cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally.
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Drain the dumplings and transfer to a plate. Allow to sit for several minutes before digging in — the broth will be hot!
Notes
Measuring flour: I recommend using a kitchen scale to measure flour. If measuring by volume, use the spoon and level method to avoid over-measuring the flour. Lightly spoon flour into the measuring cup until it’s completely full. Then run the back of a knife over the cup to gently scrape off any excess.
Yellow onion: Instead of grating, you can use your food processor to very finely mince the onion.
To make dough by hand: If making the dough by hand, you’ll need to knead it for 15-20 minutes. The dough is quite firm, so it takes a bit of muscle!
Storage: Leftover cooked Khinkali can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Freezing instructions: Transfer the formed Khinkali to a pan lined with parchment paper and dusted with flour. Make sure the Khinkali aren’t touching. Place them in the freezer for 1-2 hours or until frozen solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container.