Perilla Kimchi

깻잎 김치, GgatNip GimChi

Posted by Aeri Lee on December 10, 2010 Leave a comment (11) Go to comments

Perilla kimchi (깻잎 김치) is another simple kimchi recipe. It does not need to soak in a brine like normal kimchi and it does not need very long to ferment. So even though it called kimchi, it is almost like a daily side dish. Perilla has a unique taste, and it is thought to be good for health. This kimchi tastes great both when it is fresh and fermented. If you love kimchi and want something different, why don’t you try this someday?

Yield: 6½ Dozen Leaves

Short Korean Lesson: *^^*

Perilla Leaves (깻잎) = GgatNip
JeopSi (접시) = Plate

Video Instructions

Main Ingredients

About 80 Perilla Leaves (a.k.a. Sesame Leaves)
½ Cup Red Pepper Powder
¼ Cup Fish Sauce (and 3 Tbsp Water)
⅓ Cup Green Onions
¼ Cup Carrot
1½ Tbsp Sugar
1½ Tbsp Ground Asian Pear (Optional)
1 Tbsp Minced Garlic
1 Tbsp Sesame Seeds
½ tsp Minced Ginger

Directions

Wash about 80 perilla leaves and drain them.

Finely chop ⅓ cup worth of green onions and julienne ¼ cup worth of carrot thinly.

To make the kimchi paste, combine ½ cup of red pepper powder, ¼ cup of fish sauce, 3 Tbsp of water, ⅓ cup of green onions, ¼ cup of carrot, 1½ of Tbsp of sugar, 1 Tbsp minced garlic, 1 Tbsp of sesame seeds, and ½ tsp of minced ginger.

Depending on your tastes, adjust the amount of sweetness with sugar or some ground Asian pear. Also adjust the amount of spiciness with red pepper powder and the saltiness with salt or fish sauce in this step. I like to add 1½ Tbsp of Asian pear for better flavor; however, it is optional.

Mix everything together. Now we are ready to make perilla kimchi.

Place one perilla leaf on a plate and spread some kimchi paste evenly on top of it. Repeat this for each leaf. Make separate stacks of 10 to 15 leaves.

Arrange the stacks of leaves inside of a glass container in different directions so that they will be nicely spaced out. It will help make it easier to take them out later when you eat the kimchi.

Leave the kimchi at room temperature for half a day and then keep it in the refrigerator. It will be ready to eat in 2 to 3 days. Serve it with rice, soup, and other Korean side dishes. Enjoy!