Perilla Leaf Kimchi is commonly eaten in the summer time everywhere in Korea, OR anywhere Koreans dwell. Nowadays, you can find these precious Perilla leaves in most Korean grocery stores during summer.
I bet Mr. Kim and Mrs. Lee in your neighborhood, or maybe Dr. Choi, your friendly dentist, might have this Kkatnip Kimchi on their dinner table this weekend.
Yup! I had this kimchi and my Beef Nuhbiani last night, and I was in the pure heaven.
Here is a beautiful portrait of Kkatnips! They are packed in with Vitamin C and fiber. They are fragrant herbs, somewhat similar to basil. Some love the fragrance and some don’t. But if you love basil, you won’t have problem getting used to the fragrance of these beautiful leaves. You can even make Pesto sauce with them and it is delicious.
Koreans like to pickle these leaves as well, but today, I am going to share with you how to make Kimchi with them. Simply delicious!!!
Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of baking soda and let them soak in the water for 5 minutes, then rinse in the running water several times. That will give you peace of mind.
Here are the seasoning team. Fish sauce, Korean soy sauce for soup, corn syrup (optional), sugar, sesame seeds, Korean chili flakes, onion, garlic, red chilies, and carrot.
Slice a carrot and onion into very thin matchsticks (1/8″).
Add the 1/2 cup of reserved anchovy stock, and mix. The paste will be a little runny.
After one day of room temperature fermentation, keep them in the fridge. They will last for at least two month, but I believe you will finish off in the next few days.
Wrap around some rice with a leaf, and savor all the summer flavors mingling on your tongue.
I’m sure Mr. Kim and Mrs. Lee, …and even Dr. Choi would put a smile on their face as they savor this healthy Kimchi.
Ramadan is coming to an end here in Malaysia, followed by 2 days of Muslim holiday called Hari Raya. The locals go to Kampong (village) to visit their families and have feasts, some will spend their days in the shopping malls, etc, which means there will be multitude of people everywhere I go… I have a crowd phobia so I better chill-lax in my hut with family, have a few friends over for lunch, watch some movies that I missed in the theater, cook up a new recipe, and the best of all, getting up late in the morning without the worry of my kids missing the school bus.
Do all these sound like a good plan?
- Clean Perilla leaves in water thoroughly. Drain well to remove excess water. (Use a salad spinner if you own)
- In a small mixing bowl combine chopped fresh chilies, Korean chili flakes, fish sauce, soy sauce for soup, sugar, corn syrup if using, garlic, and sesame seeds. Add 1/2 cup of anchovy stock to the mixture and stir well. The seasoning paste will be runny.
- Place a Perilla leaf on the shallow plate (I use a glass pie dish) spread 1 teaspoonful of seasoning paste around on top of leaf. Sprinkle a few slices of onion and carrots on top. Place another 2-3 leaves on top and repeat the layer. You don't need to spread the seasoning on every leaf. Stack them in a air tight container.
- Pour 1/4 cup of remaining anchovy stock to the seasoning paste, swirl around, and pour over the leaves. Press down gently with a spoon.
- Let the Kimchi sit on the room temperature for 1 day and store in the fridge afterwards. Serve with rice as a side dish.