Air Fryer Georgian Pork Khinkali Black Pepper Dumplings

AF-200 Crew Pork Recipe

Air Fryer Georgian Pork Khinkali Black Pepper Dumplings

Khinkali are Georgian soup dumplings with a twisted top, a peppery meat filling and precious broth trapped inside. They are traditionally boiled and eaten by hand from the pleated knot. This air-fryer version becomes crisp rather than silky, but keeps the juicy pork centre. Reduced stock folded into the mince melts as it cooks, giving each dumpling a small burst of broth.

Air Fryer Georgian Pork Khinkali Black Pepper Dumplings
Air Fryer Georgian Pork Khinkali Black Pepper Dumplings preparation stage

You’ll Need

For the Stock Gel
150ml strong pork or chicken stock
2 gelatine leaves
For the Pork Filling
500g pork mince
1 small onion, very finely diced
2 tbsp chopped coriander
1 tsp cracked black pepper
½ tsp ground cumin
1 tsp sea salt
For the Dumplings
24 large round dumpling wrappers
Water, for sealing
1 tbsp vegetable oil
Extra cracked black pepper
Optional but dangerous
Garlic yoghurt
Chilli sauce
A cold Georgian beer

Method

Soften the gelatine, dissolve it in the hot stock and chill until completely set.

Chop the stock jelly finely and mix it with the pork, onion, coriander, pepper, cumin and salt.

Place a heaped teaspoon of filling in the centre of each wrapper.

Pleat the edge upwards, gather the folds and pinch firmly into a twisted top.

Chill for 20 minutes while you preheat the air fryer to 185°C.

Brush the dumplings lightly with oil and arrange them without touching.

Air fry in batches for 10-12 minutes until crisp and golden.

Check the pork filling has reached 75°C and rest for 2 minutes.

Finish with cracked black pepper and eat carefully while the broth is hot.

Lad Tip: Seal every pleat as though the stock belongs to you, because it does. One loose fold lets the broth escape and leaves a very elegant but disappointingly dry dumpling.

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