How to Make Delicious Perilla Leaf Kimchi: A Secret Recipe f
This perilla leaf kimchi recipe will boost your appetite during the hot summer. With a special method of steaming the perilla leaves, the seasoning adheres perfectly, the color remains unchanged for longer storage, and you can enjoy this delicious side dish.
📝 Editor's Notes
The perilla leaf kimchi we're introducing today is a summer rice thief that can be enjoyed fragrantly all month long thanks to its special cooking method.
The biggest appeal of this recipe is steaming the perilla leaves to make the seasoning adhere perfectly, and maintaining its delicious state without color change for a long time.
The spicy-sweet seasoning combined with crispy vegetables will help you regain your lost appetite during the hot weather.
Typically, perilla leaf kimchi can have a grassy smell or the seasoning might not penetrate well, but this recipe helps you make it successfully without such worries.
It's the best side dish, so definitely try making it.
🛒 Ingredient Tips
To make delicious perilla leaf kimchi, choosing fresh perilla leaves is important.
Select leaves that are not too large, have a deep green color, and are fresh with no withered edges.
Those with a strong characteristic aroma and fine hairs on the underside are good.
For garlic chives, choose straight, fresh leaves with no dry ends.
For green onions, pick ones with a lot of white part and a firm texture.
For Cheongyang chili peppers (cheongyang-gochu), choose those that are not too soft and have a glossy appearance.
Remember that good ingredients are the foundation of delicious kimchi.
🔄 Substitution Guide
If perilla leaves are hard to find or if you prefer other aromatic vegetables, you can try substituting with lettuce or kale.
Lettuce is softer than perilla leaves, so the steaming time should be reduced to about 3 minutes, while kale can be steamed for about 5 minutes, similar to perilla leaves.
However, lettuce lacks the unique aroma of perilla, so the taste might be lighter, and kale may have a stronger bitter taste.
If you want to reduce the spiciness instead of Cheongyang chili peppers (cheongyang-gochu), you can use kkari-gochu (shishito peppers) or asagi-gochu (non-spicy green peppers).
If molasses is unavailable, you can substitute with oligosaccharide syrup or jocheong (rice syrup), but the unique deep sweetness of molasses might be slightly less prominent.
🥘 Ingredients
👨🍳 Cooking Points
The key to this perilla leaf kimchi lies in 'steaming the perilla leaves' and 'resting the seasoning.' First, you must steam the perilla leaves in a steamer over high heat for exactly 5 minutes.
3 minutes is too short and can result in a grassy smell, while more than 7 minutes will make the leaves too soft and compromise the texture.
Sticking to 5 minutes ensures the perilla leaves' color remains unchanged, the seasoning penetrates well, and a chewy texture is maintained.
Second, it's crucial to mix the liquid ingredients first for the seasoning, then add the minced garlic, gochugaru (gochugaru), and sesame seeds, and let it rest for 10 minutes.
During this process, the gochugaru absorbs the liquid, making the seasoning thick and allowing it to adhere perfectly to the perilla leaves.
If you remember just these two points, you'll be able to make delicious perilla leaf kimchi without fail.
👨🍳 Directions
Trim the tough ends of the perilla leaves evenly with scissors or a knife.
Place the perilla leaves in a steamer and steam over high heat for 5 minutes.
Remove the steamed perilla leaves, let them cool completely, then squeeze out the water by hand.
Cut the garlic chives into 1.2 to 1.6-inch (3-4 cm) lengths. Halve the green onion lengthwise, then thinly julienne and cut into short pieces.
Halve the Cheongyang chili peppers (cheongyang-gochu), remove the seeds, and thinly julienne. Thinly julienne the carrot as well.
Combine 7 tbsp soy sauce, 12 tbsp fish sauce (myeolchi-aekjeot), 10 tbsp soju (soju), and 6 tbsp molasses. Stir well.
After mixing the liquid ingredients thoroughly, add 2 tbsp minced garlic and mix again.
Add 10 tbsp gochugaru (gochugaru) and stir gently, then add sesame seeds and mix one more time.
Let the prepared seasoning sit for 10 minutes to thicken.
Stack 3-4 perilla leaves, apply the seasoning carefully, especially to the back of the leaves, then spread evenly on the front as well.
Between the seasoned perilla leaves, add small amounts of the prepared garlic chives, green onion, Cheongyang chili peppers (cheongyang-gochu), and carrot.
After seasoning all the perilla leaves, press them firmly and neatly into a kimchi container.
💡 Tips
It is crucial to steam the perilla leaves for exactly 5 minutes to prevent color change, ensure the seasoning adheres well, and maintain a good texture. Steaming for 3 minutes is insufficient, and more than 7 minutes will make them too soft.
For the seasoning, it's important to mix the liquid ingredients first, then add the minced garlic, gochugaru (gochugaru), and sesame seeds, and let it rest for 10 minutes to allow the gochugaru to absorb the liquid and thicken. Skipping this step will result in the seasoning not adhering well to the perilla leaves and dripping off.
If you plan to eat it right away, let it ferment at room temperature for one day, then refrigerate. For longer storage, refrigerate immediately after making it so the flavors slowly infuse in the cold. This will make the taste deeper with each passing week.
If you are sensitive to saltiness, reduce the amount of fish sauce (myeolchi-aekjeot) to 10 tbsp and adjust to your preference. If soju (soju) is unavailable, you can substitute it with cheongju (rice wine) or makgeolli (rice wine). For molasses, you can use oligosaccharide syrup or pear juice. Removing soju might result in a coarser seasoning flavor.
If you have leftover seasoning, you can add fresh perilla leaves to make more, allowing you to enjoy the deeper flavor of an already fermented sauce.
📦 Storage & Reuse
Store the finished perilla leaf kimchi by pressing it down neatly into a kimchi container.
If you plan to eat it right away, let it ferment at room temperature for about a day, then refrigerate; this allows the seasoning to penetrate deeper and taste more delicious.
If you wish to store it for a long time, refrigerate it immediately after making it, allowing the flavors to slowly infuse in the refrigerator.
This way, the taste will deepen with each passing week, and you can enjoy it fresh for about a month.
Freezing is not recommended as it can make the perilla leaves soft.
Leftover perilla leaf kimchi can be used in kimchi jjigae (kimchi stew) or bibimbap (mixed rice).
🥢 Who This Is For
Thanks to its savory and fragrant taste, this perilla leaf kimchi is so good that you won't need any other side dishes when served with warm rice.
It's especially recommended for those who enjoy meat dishes.
It pairs fantastically with samgyeopsal (grilled pork belly) or suyuk (boiled pork slices), cutting through the richness and adding a refreshing touch.
It's also a delightful addition to bibimbap or as a topping for noodles.
For those living alone or college students, it will be a hearty and reliable side dish.
🔥 Nutrition Info
This perilla leaf kimchi recipe is expected to yield approximately 4-6 servings based on 1.1 lbs (500g) of perilla leaves. Per serving (approx.
3.5 oz or 100g), the estimated calories are about 150-200 kcal.
Protein is estimated at about 5-7g, fat at about 5-8g, and carbohydrates at about 15-20g.
Perilla leaves are rich in various vitamins and minerals such as vitamins A and C, calcium, and iron, which help boost immunity and prevent anemia.
Notably, their high iron content makes them an excellent source of iron despite being a vegetable.
Garlic chives, green onion, and Cheongyang chili peppers (cheongyang-gochu) also add vitamins and dietary fiber, contributing to nutritional balance.
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