A popular side dish, these pickled Korean perilla leaves pack an irresistibly delicious salty, sweet, garlicky punch! Wrap them with white rice and garnish with sesame seeds, and enjoy this popular Asian dish.
What is a Perilla Leaf?
Perilla leaves are a species of plants that come from the mint family. In Korean they are called kkaennip 깻잎, which translates to “sesame leaves”, though they really have nothing to do with sesame!
You might be familiar with Japanese shiso, which looks similar but has a much different taste. Perilla plants grow similarly to basil and can be grown at home pretty easily with perilla seeds.
What Makes This Recipe Great
Pickled perilla leaves are a classic side dish in Korean cuisine, called banchan, in any Korean household. Perilla leaves, called kkaenip in Korean, are eaten in many forms: raw as a lettuce wrap, cooked, fermented, and even fried.
For this kkaenip jjangajji recipe, perilla leaves are pickled in a delicious sauce that’s salty, slightly sweet, and garlicky. They’re best served wrapped with white rice and make the most delicious side dish that is easy to make and really healthy! If you’re intimidated by Korean cooking, this recipe is a great place to start!
Watch a Short Video of This Recipe
Ingredient Notes
- perilla leaves: You’ll need about 30 leaves. Perilla leaves are fragrant and have a unique flavor that’s minty, herby, nutty, and slightly resembles licorice. They are usually found at Korean or Asian grocery stores, so I would search if you have one near you.
- tamari sauce: This is a gluten-free soy sauce alternative. You can also use soy sauce. For soy-free, use 1/2 cup coconut aminos + 1/4 tsp sea salt instead.
- coconut sugar: You can also use brown sugar if preferred.
- green onions
- garlic cloves: You can also use a jar of minced garlic instead.
- gochugaru: Or Korean chili flakes. You can find these in Korean or Asian markets.
- Korean green chili pepper: You can also use a jalapeño.
- sesame seeds: For garnish.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Rinse the perilla leaves under cold running water, then let them dry on a colander.
- Make the sauce by stirring together tamari sauce, coconut sugar, green onions, garlic, gochugaru, and chili pepper in a bowl.
- In a glass container that’s big enough for the leaves, stack and lay down 3 leaves then spoon 1 tablespoon of the sauce over the leaves. Repeat until all the leaves are stacked in the container. If you run out of sauce, spoon it from the bottom of the container. Pour any remaining sauce over the leaves.
- Cover, and refrigerate overnight or for at least 8 hours.
- Serve cold sprinkled with sesame seeds, alongside a warm bowl of rice.
Expert Tips
- Prepping the leaves: After you rinse the perilla leaves with cold water, and let them dry in the colander, you can pat any excess water off of the leaves with a paper towel.
- Spice level: Make more or less spicy by increasing or decreasing the gochugaru pepper flakes.
- Pickling process: Make sure to leave the leaves in the sauce for at least 8 hours before serving. Overnight is best, but if eaten sooner than 8 hours, they will not have as much flavor.
Serving Tips
- Serve cold sprinkled with sesame seeds, alongside a warm bowl of rice.
- Take a single leaf and wrap it around warm white rice, and eat in one bite!
Storage Tips
- Leftover Korean perilla leaves can be stored in the fridge for up to 10 days.
- These do not freeze well. I do not recommend freezing them.
Recipe FAQs
They are an easy, popular side dish in Korean cuisine. The leaves grow well in Southeast Asian countries. They are large and sturdy, which makes them a great wrap for rice.
They have a strong aromatic flavor with a hint of black licorice or anise. It’s a delicious combination of minty, herby, and nutty.
No. While both Korean kkaennip (perilla) and Japanese shiso are from the same family of perilla, they are a different variety. The best way to understand this is that green apples and red apples are both apples, but they are different varieties and taste much different. The same is true for shiso and kkaennip.
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Pickled Korean Perilla Leaves (Kkaennip Jangajji)
Ingredients
- 3 oz perilla leaves about 30 leaves
- 1/2 cup tamari sauce or soy sauce. For soy free, use 1/2 cup coconut aminos + 1/4 tsp sea salt instead
- 2 tbsp coconut sugar or brown sugar
- 2 tbsp green onions finely sliced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tsp gochugaru or Korean chili flakes
- 2 tbsp Korean green chili pepper or jalapeño finely minced
- Sesame seeds for serving
Instructions
- Rinse the perilla leaves under cold running water, then let it dry on a colander.
- Make the sauce by stirring together tamari sauce, coconut sugar, green onions, garlic, gochugaru, and chili pepper in a bowl.
- In a glass container that's big enough for the leaves, stack and lay down 3 leaves then spoon 1 tablespoon of the sauce over the leaves. Repeat until all the leaves are stacked in the container. If you run out of sauce, spoon it from the bottom of the container. Pour any remaining sauce over the leaves.
- Cover, and refrigerate overnight or at least 8 hours.
- Serve cold sprinkled with sesame seeds, alongside a warm bowl of rice.
Video
Notes
Expert Tips
- Prepping the leaves: After rinsing the perilla leaves with cold water, let them dry in the colander, then pat the excess water off the leaves with a paper towel.
- Spice level: Make more or less spicy by increasing or decreasing the gochugaru pepper flakes.
- Pickling process: Make sure to leave the leaves in the sauce for at least 8 hours before serving. Overnight is best, but if eaten sooner than 8 hours, they will not have as much flavor.
Serving Tips
- Serve cold sprinkled with sesame seeds, alongside a warm bowl of rice.
- Take a single leaf, wrap it around warm white rice, and eat in one bite!
Storage Tips
- Leftover Korean perilla leaves can be stored in the fridge for 10 days.
- These do not freeze well. I do not recommend freezing them.
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