Kumyk khinkal

Incredibly delicious and hearty Kumyk khinkal consists of thin boiled pieces of dough and meat with gravy. In the classic version, this dish requires lamb or beef (veal). The meat is minced and stewed in tomato sauce. Next, alternating layers, tender squares of dough and meat gravy are layered.

Yield: 5 servings.

Cooking time: 1 hour.

Caloric content: 140 kcal per 100 grams of the dish.

Cuisine: Dagestani.

Ingredients

• beef mince – 500 g,
• white onion – 250 g,
• tomato paste – 160 g,
• hot red pepper – 0.5 tsp,
• 9% vinegar – 1 tbsp,
• water for the gravy – 500 ml,
• salt for the gravy – about 0.5 tbsp,
• salt for the dough – 1 tsp,
• water for the dough – 200 ml,
• flour (wheat) – 400 g.

Preparation

1. Prepare the ingredients for Kumyk khinkal. You can use ready-made mince or grind lamb (beef) yourself. Tomato paste can easily be replaced with fresh tomatoes, about 250 grams are needed. The amount of water for the dough may be slightly less (depends on the flour), so add it gradually at the end of kneading. Neither fat nor vegetable oil is needed in this recipe.

2. Start with making the meat gravy. For this, chop the onion finely.

3. Transfer the beef mince and chopped onion to a deep frying pan.

4. Pour in 500 milliliters of room temperature water.

5. Add the tomato paste here. If using fresh tomatoes, they need to be chopped finely.

6. Place the frying pan over medium heat and salt the contents. From the moment it boils, cook the gravy for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

7. In the end, add hot pepper.

8. And immediately – a spoonful of vinegar. Taste the mixture and add another spoonful of vinegar if necessary to sour it further.

9. Simultaneously with the gravy, you can start preparing the dough. Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in about 180-190 milliliters of water. Start kneading in the bowl.

10. Then transfer the dough to a flat surface and continue kneading, adding the remaining water if necessary. The dough should be moderately firm, not too soft but also not too tough. Form a ball and cover it with a towel, leaving it to rest for 20 minutes.

11. After the specified time, the dough will become more elastic and manageable. For convenience, divide it into 2 parts and roll it out, but not too thin – about 3 millimeters.

12. Cut the rolled-out dough into squares with a side of 4 centimeters.

13. In a large pot, bring 3 liters of water to a boil. Turn the heat to maximum. After boiling, add 0.5 tablespoons of salt.

14. Pour all the prepared squares into the boiling water. Using a slotted spoon, lift the squares that have settled to the bottom. As soon as they all float to the top and the water starts boiling again, cook the squares for 1-1.5 minutes.

15. Layer the first layer of dough on a large plate.

16. Distribute the meat gravy on top.

17. Then repeat the layers 2-3 times.

Kumyk khinkal is served hot – while it's warm. The very juicy meat and tender dough simply melt in your mouth, somewhat reminiscent of Russian pelmeni. This dish is eaten with a spoon and fork, using both utensils. Try it, it's very delicious!