Khinkali (Georgian Dumplings)
Beautifully twisted knobs of dough, khinkali are typically stuffed with meat and spices,
then served boiled or steamed. The trick with khinkali is to eat them without making a
mess or spilling the hot broth inside all over yourself. How to eat khinkali: sprinkle with
black pepper, grab the dumpling by the handle and turn upside down. Take small bites
from the side, slurping some broth as you go.
Lali taught us how to make khinkali from scratch when we stayed in Kakheti. After a
few disastrous attempts, we finally got the hang of how to turn and tuck the dough
around the meat. Remarkably, our dumplings maintained their form as they boiled and
the broth remained inside. We’re told our khinkali-making certificate is in the mail.
Although traditional khinkali typically features meat, vegetarian khinkali featuring
fillings of mushroom and cheese/curd are often available if you ask for them.