Perilla Kimchi is easy kimchi made with fresh perilla leaves. This fragrant and fresh kimchi is the perfect side dish for any grilled meats or rice dishes.
What is Perilla (Kkaennip)?
Perilla (깻잎) is commonly used as a vegetable in Korean cuisine. It has a grassy, minty, fragrant flavor that pairs well with many Korean dishes. Fresh perilla leaves are usually eaten with Korean bbq when making lettuce wraps, or chopped and added to Bibimbap or cold noodle dishes.
You can also add perilla leaves in stir-frys or make this perilla pesto!
What you’ll need for Perilla Kimchi:
- Perilla leaves
- Soy sauce
- Fish sauce: this gives an umami flavor boost, but this can be optional.
- Dashi broth: made by simmering kombu and water on low heat.
- Garlic
- Maesil (Plum extract): this can be substituted with honey or agave syrup.
- Gochugaru
- Green onion
- Thai peppers
- Onion
- Carrots
How to make Perilla Kimchi at home:
To make the kimchi base:
Making perilla kimchi at home is quick and easy. In a large bowl, combine the soy sauce, fish sauce, dashi broth, gochugaru, and all the chopped vegetables (minced garlic, chopped green onions, diced Thai peppers, sliced onion, and julienned carrots). Mix all the ingredients to combine well.
In a airtight container, place 1 leaf at a time in the container and spread about ½ tablespoon of the kimchi base on the leaf. Repeat this step for the remaining leaves.
Enjoy right away or cover and store in the fridge for up to 3-4 weeks.
Video Tutorial
Other side dish recipes you may like:
- Easy Garlic Yu Choy
- Dong Geu Rami Kimbap
- Mayak Eggs (Korean Marinated Eggs)
- Kani Salad
- Korean Scallion Salad 파무침 (Pa Muchim)
Ingredients
- 35-40 perilla leaves, rinsed
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- ¼ cup dashi (kombu) broth, can substitute with water
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons maesil (plum extract), can substitute with honey or agave
- 2 tablespoons gochugaru (Korean chili pepper powder)
- 3 stalks of green onion, chopped
- 3 Thai chili peppers, diced
- ½ of a medium onion, sliced
- 2 medium carrots, julienned
Instructions
To make dashi broth:
- In a pot, pour 1 cup of water and 1 (2-inch) piece of dried kombu to a simmer. Let it simmer for 20 minutes and remove the kombu. Use ¼ cup of this in the kimchi base, the leftover can be used in other dishes, such as this Creamy Rappoki.
To make the kimchi base:
- In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients (everything but the perilla leaves) and mix well. All the ingredients should be evenly coated.
To assemble:
- In an airtight container, place one leaf at a time in the container. Take about ½ tablespoon of the kimchi base and spread it evenly on the perilla leaf. Repeat this step for the remaining leaves.
- Enjoy right away or cover and keep in the fridge for up to 4 weeks.
Notes
To store: Store the perilla kimchi in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 weeks.
