← Nouns Cooking · Korean

Ingredients

• 40 Perilla leaves (kkaennip)
• 3 tbsp Soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Gochugaru (Korean chilli flakes)
• 1 tsp Sugar
• 2 cloves Garlic, minced
• ¼ Onion, finely chopped
• 2 Spring onion, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp perilla or sesame oil
• 1 tsp Sesame seeds
• 4 tbsp Water

Method

1. Wash the perilla leaves, shake them dry and trim the stems short.
2. Mix all the sauce ingredients in a bowl.
3. In a small pan, stack the leaves two at a time, spooning a little sauce over each pair. Alternate the direction of the stems so the stack stays even.
4. Pour the water around the edge, cover and steam over medium-low heat for 5–6 min, until the leaves darken and soften.
5. Cool in the pan. Keep in the fridge for up to 5 days, and peel off a leaf at a time to wrap rice.

Tips

• Many Korean cooks add 1 tbsp anchovy or fish sauce to the sauce for extra depth (then it is no longer vegetarian).
• A microwave works too: cover the stack and cook on high for about 2 minutes.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Korean Bapsang Kimchimari Beyond Kimchee