Huhhhh, the water looks very frosty.
We used to build tepee forts out of the phragmite when we were kids. Fun times!
Morning All
I lived in Tbilisi Georgia for a few years and can personnaly attest to the s c r u m p t i o u s taste of these “dumplings” - our final recipe in this 12 days of Christmas recipe extravaganza courtesy of Caravan-Serai.
Welcome to our final day of our 2018 12 Days of Caravan-Serai Cooking recipe series. We hope you have enjoyed this year's collection, and please let us know if you tried one or more of the recipes and how they came out. We have had recipes from Iran, Morocco, Tunisia, general Middle Eastern flavors, and more.
Our last recipe is from Georgia, one of our favorite destinations in the Caucasus. The flavors of the Caucasus region are varied, even for such a relatively small geographic area. While the three countries we have tours to have some similarities or common ingredients, how they express themselves on the table can be surprisingly diverse! We hope you enjoy this last recipe for the year, a dumpling made with spiced ground meat and savory seasonings. It will warm you up on cold winter days!
We wish you and your loved ones Happy Holidays and a prosperous and joyous New Year!
Khinkali - Georgian Dumplings
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Khinkali, which is a Georgian type of Dumplings, originated in mountainous regions of Mtiuleti, Pshavi and Khevsureti. Later Khinkali varieties spread across the Caucasus region. They are made of mixed pork and beef, sometimes of lamb. Sometimes Khinkali are filled with mushrooms, potatoes, or cheese instead of meat.
To eat the Khinkali, you are supposed to hold the dumpling by the top nib, then bite into it and suck out the juices before eating the rest of the dumpling. Tradition is to not eat the top nib or knot and put that back on your plate (it will help you keep track of how many you have eaten!)
Variations of this dumpling can be made with a mushroom filling or potato-herb filling, or just about anything you can imagine! Enjoy!
Ingredients
4 cups flour
1 1⁄4 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
8 oz. ground beef
8 oz. ground pork
2 tbsp. finely chopped cilantro
1 tsp. dried fenugreek leaves (available at Indian Foods Company)
1⁄2 tsp. crushed red chili flakes
3 small yellow onions, minced
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Stir together flour, salt, and 1 1⁄4 cups warm water in a bowl until dough forms; transfer to a work surface and knead until smooth, about 6 minutes. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate dough for 40 minutes. Meanwhile, combine beef pork, cilantro, fenugreek, chili flakes, and onions in a bowl until evenly mixed; season generously with salt and pepper, and set filling aside.
Divide dough into 25 equal pieces, and shape each piece into a ball. Using a rolling pin, roll a ball into a 6″ round. Place about 2 tbsp. filling in center of round, and fold edges of dough over filling, creating pleats in dough as you go, until filling is covered. Holding dumpling in the palm of one hand, grasp top of dumpling where pleats meet and twist to seal pleats and form a knot at top of dumpling. Repeat with remaining dough rounds and filling.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Working in batches, boil dumplings until they float and dough is tender, about 8 minutes. Drain and serve hot. Season with black pepper.
