Tender Kkaennip Sun Bokkeum (Stir-Fried Perilla Sprout Greens)
A summer side dish of blanched baby perilla greens lightly seasoned and quickly stir-fried in perilla oil.
Translated from Korean by AI and not yet checked by a native speaker. Amounts and numbers are taken directly from the original recipe. Read the Korean original →
This summer side dish features tender baby perilla greens, briefly blanched in boiling water, tossed in a light seasoning, and stir-fried over high heat. Leaving a touch of moisture and stir-frying quickly over medium heat or higher keeps them tender and aromatic rather than tough. Adding Cheongyang chili pepper and perilla oil gives you a wonderful balance of kick and nutty aroma.
- Servings
- about 3–4 servings
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spiciness
- Mildly spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Baby perilla leaves200 g
- Large green onion (daepa)a little
- Cheongyang chili pepper (hot green chili)1
- Red chili pepper1
- Coarse sea salt1 tbsp
- Perilla oil1 tbsp
- Cooking oil1 tbsp
Seasoning
- Soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang)1 tbsp
- Tuna extract sauce (chamchi-aek)1 tbsp
- Minced garlic1 tbsp
- Mirin (cooking rice wine)1 tbsp
- Corn syrup (mulyeot)1 tbsp
- Perilla oil1 tbsp
- Toasted sesame seeds1/2 tbsp
- To remove dust and foreign particles, soak the baby perilla leaves in water mixed with a little vinegar, rinse several times under running water, and trim off thick stems.
- Prepare roughly equal amounts of large green onion, red chili pepper, and Cheongyang chili pepper.
Steps
Prepare the ingredients
Prepare 200 g of fragrant, tender baby perilla leaves. You can prepare roughly equal amounts of large green onion, red chili pepper, and Cheongyang chili pepper.
Trim and chop ingredients
Trim and chop ingredients
To remove dust and foreign particles, soak the baby perilla leaves in vinegar water, then rinse several times under running water.
Cut off any thick stems.
Finely chop the large green onion, red chili pepper, and Cheongyang chili pepper.
Blanch the baby perilla leaves
Blanch the baby perilla leaves
Pour in enough water to submerge the baby perilla leaves, add 1 tbsp coarse sea salt, and bring to a rolling boil.
Add all the baby perilla leaves and stir quickly; as soon as their color deepens and they wilt, immediately cool them down in cold water.
Season
Season
Press with both hands to gently squeeze out the moisture.
There should be a little moisture left so the stir-fry stays moist, so you do not have to squeeze it out completely.
Add 1 tbsp minced garlic, 1 tbsp soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang), 1 tbsp tuna extract sauce (chamchi-aek), 1 tbsp mirin (cooking rice wine), 1 tbsp corn syrup (mulyeot), and the chopped large green onion, then toss gently so the seasoning absorbs.
Stir-fry
Stir-fry
Add 1 tbsp each of perilla oil and cooking oil to a pan, add the seasoned baby perilla leaves, and stir-fry briskly.
Stir-frying over low heat for too long can make them tough, so stir-fry quickly over medium heat or higher so the seasoning blends well with the greens.
Taste and adjust with salt if it is too bland.
Add the Cheongyang chili pepper and red chili pepper, toss and stir-fry until fragrant, then turn off the heat and finish by adding 1 tbsp perilla oil and 1/2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds.
Ppunwife's tips
- There should be a little moisture left so the stir-fry stays moist, so you do not have to squeeze it out completely.
- Stir-frying over low heat for too long can make them tough, so stir-fry quickly over medium heat or higher so the seasoning blends well with the greens.
- It is also delicious if you stir-fry it with a little perilla seed powder added.
FAQ
Should I squeeze all the water out of the blanched baby perilla leaves?
To preserve a moist texture, it is better not to squeeze the water out completely and leave a little bit behind.
How should I adjust the heat while stir-frying so they do not turn tough?
Stir-frying over low heat for too long can make them tough, so stir-fry them quickly over medium heat or higher so the seasonings blend well together.
What ingredient can I add to give it an even nuttier flavor?
Adding a little perilla seed powder at the finishing stage and stir-frying it in will double the nutty flavor.
