Khinkali - one of the best dishes of Georgia

Khinkali (also known as Chinkali or Xinkali) are stuffed pasta dumplings that are a favorite dish from the Country of Georgia. They are similar to Chinese Soup Dumplings, (Xiao Long Bao), but are much larger than their bite-sized cousins. These hearty little bags of goodness are typically served up on large platters and shared with friends. There are several kinds of Khinkali. Typical varieties have stuffing made from cheese, mushrooms, lamb or potato, but the most common is a meaty stuffing made with pork and beef. The meaty stuffing releases a rich broth when cooked. This poses an interesting dilemma when it comes time to eating them. How do you break into the dumpling without your plate, or you, becoming covered in broth? The ingenious inventors of this dumpling use an accordion-like fold to close it, resulting in a small handle at the top.