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Mushroom khinkali
Sokos khinkali: pleated mountain dumplings with a juicy mushroom filling
Khinkali come from the mountain villages of Pshavi, Khevsureti and Tusheti in Georgia's north-east, and the roadside khinkali houses of Pasanauri on the Georgian Military Road are where many Tbilisi families stop for them. The classic filling is meat, but mushroom khinkali (sokos khinkali) are made all through Orthodox Lent and are on most menus. You hold each one upside down by its twisted topknot, bite a small hole, sip the hot juices, then eat the rest and leave the doughy knot on the plate to count how many you have eaten. The common mistake is rolling the wrappers too thin or the dough too soft, so they tear in the pot and lose their juice. Chef's tip: grind black pepper over them generously at the table, as Georgians do; it wakes up the mushrooms.
- Total time
- 120 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the dough
For the filling
To cook and serve
Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Mix 1 ⅛ lb plain flour and 1 tsp salt, add 1 cup cold water and knead for 10 minutes into a firm, smooth dough, stiffer than bread dough. Wrap and rest for 30 minutes.
10 minStep 2: Heat 3 tbsp sunflower oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Fry 2 onions for 5 minutes until soft, then add 1 ⅓ lb chestnut mushrooms and cook for 10–12 minutes, stirring, until all the water they release has evaporated and they start to sizzle and brown.
17 minStep 3: Stir in 2 cloves garlic, ½ tsp chilli flakes and ½ tsp ground caraway or cumin for 1 minute, then take off the heat. Stir in ⅔ oz coriander leaves, 1 tsp salt and ¼ cup water; the water makes the juice inside the dumplings. Cool completely.
Step 4: Roll the dough into a log and cut into 20 pieces. Keep them covered. Roll each into a circle about 12 cm across and 2 mm thick, a little thinner at the edges than in the middle.
Step 5: Put a heaped tablespoon of filling in the centre of a wrapper. Holding it in one hand, fold the edge into small pleats all the way round with the other, turning as you go, aiming for 15–20 pleats. Gather the pleats at the top and twist firmly into a knot; pinch off any extra dough above the knot.
Step 6: Set the finished khinkali on a floured tray, not touching. Repeat with the rest.
Step 7: Bring a large pan of water to the boil with 1 tbsp salt. Lower in about 10 khinkali, stir gently once so none stick to the bottom, and boil for 10–12 minutes from when they float, until the dough is tender at the edges and the knot is just cooked.
12 minStep 8: Lift out with a slotted spoon and cook the second batch. Serve straight away with plenty of 1 tsp black pepper ground over the top, eating them by hand by the knot.
12 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 470 kcal
- Protein
- 13 g
- Carbs
- 88 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does mushroom khinkali take?
- About 120 minutes in total: 90 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of chestnut mushrooms?
- Aubergine, diced, same weight.
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