Wine Trail Traveler

Georgian Food
Khinkali
by
Terry Sullivan

	Cooked khinkali served on a platter for a dinner at Iago's Wine in Chardakhi, Kartli, Georgia. This was our first time having khinkali. The filled dough was very juicy.
	While staying at Chateau Mere in Kakheti, we had an opportunity to make khinkali and have it with our dinner. Tamta scoops out the meat mixture and places it on the flat, round dough. The freshly-made dough pieces were already formed in the kitchen.
	After placing the meat mixture on the dough, Tamta forms the khinkali by gathering the dough together and pinching it at the top.
	Kathy, no stranger to a kitchen, started in with a determination to make a dozen. She made it look easy and it looked like she had been making khinkali for years.
	Kathy receives some instruction to pinch off the extra dough at the top. There is a skill involved in making the perfect khinkali. Those with experience can make the khinkalis very quickly.
	The khinkali is cooked in boiling water. When they float to the surface they are done and transferred to a platter. Have a napkin close by. These were very juicy. Bite in and suck out the juice. You can then eat the rest of the khinkali without making a mess. Traditionally the top of the khinkali is not eaten but left on the plate. In this way, each person can keep track of the number of khinkali eaten.