Kotori is the rarest khachapuri variety, the khachapuri of the Tusheti highlands, which fall within Kakheti. Paper-thin wheat dough is wrapped around kalti (Tushetian dried curd cheese) and boiled butter. Historically prepared only for rituals and special occasions, its ceremonial rarity makes it a distinctive entry, unlike the everyday khachapuri of other regions. The thinness of the dough and the use of dried curd are the Tushetian signatures.
Impossibly thin, almost transparent dough around a dense, salty, buttery curd filling, boiled so the dough turns silky and the filling melts into a rich paste. Eaten hot, it is delicate outside, intensely cheesy within.
The dough is rolled to a transparency that approaches filo, which is the defining Tushetian skill. The kalti (dried curd) is rehydrated slightly and mixed with boiled butter. The dough is wrapped around the filling, sealed, and boiled in salted water (not baked), which sets the dough silky and melts the curd. Boiling rather than baking is what distinguishes kotori from every other khachapuri.
Variations
A festive version adds walnuts to the filling. Some households serve it with extra melted butter on top.
On the Palate
Where Kotori sits in the Georgian flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 6How it's made
6 steps · 1 hour 30 min
- 115 min
Make a dough of 400g flour, 1 egg, 150ml water and a pinch of salt; knead smooth and rest 1 hour.
- 212 min
Divide into 6 balls and roll each paper-thin, almost transparent.
Watch outRoll each round until it's almost see-through, near filo-thin — this transparency is the Tushetian skill; thick dough boils up doughy and heavy.
- 38 min
For the filling, crumble 300g dried curd cheese (kalti), rehydrate with 2 tbsp warm water, and mix with 50g melted butter.
- 48 min
Place a spoonful of filling in the centre of each dough round, fold into a half-moon, and crimp the edge.
- 512 min
Boil the kotori in salted water for 6-8 minutes until the dough turns silky and the filling is molten.
Watch outBoil, don't bake — lift them when the dough turns silky and the curd inside is molten; that boiling is exactly what sets kotori apart from other khachapuri.
- 65 min
Lift out with a slotted spoon, brush with butter, and serve hot.
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