K-FOODRECIPE
Menu
Recipes Saved recipes
Recipes
Side dishes · Korean home cooking

Fresh perilla leaf kimchi (kkaennip kimchi)

Clean perilla leaves layered with a thin soy-chilli dressing. This fresh refrigerated home version can be eaten right away or rested cold for a softer flavour.

25 min4 servings6 stepsDifficulty: Easy
Fresh perilla leaf kimchi (kkaennip kimchi)

AI-generated cooking illustrations. Follow the written quantities and instructions.

01 / Before you start

Ingredients

4 servings

Get your ingredients ready
Get your ingredients ready

Everyday kitchen measurements

For 4 servings. Use a small 180 ml paper cup, a level eating spoon (about 15 ml) and a small teaspoon (about 5 ml).

How to fill the cup and spoons

Use the same cup and spoons throughout. Their sizes vary, so these amounts are approximate. Spoon flour in loosely and level the top without pressing. Measure vegetables after chopping, without packing them down. The amounts in g/ml are the original reference quantities. For part of a pack, use the specified pack weight and divide the contents evenly.

King Arthur Baking

Essential, optional and substitute ingredients

Keep essential ingredients. For a replacement, use its listed amount and cooking changes instead of that ingredient’s original amount. Skip optional ingredients and their preparation if omitted. Photos show the original recipe.

  • Substitute available

    If Fresh Korean perilla leaves is unavailable

    Use instead
    Fresh shiso leaves
    Substitute quantity
    20 leavesReference quantity: 20 g

    Wash and dry just as carefully. Shiso has a different aroma and thinner leaves; use a thinner coating rather than pouring in all the dressing.

  • Substitute available

    If Soy sauce is unavailable

    Use instead
    Tamari
    Substitute quantity
    2 level eating spoonsReference quantity: 30 ml

    Use unsweetened tamari in the dressing. Check its label if avoiding wheat.

  • Essential

    Use cold drinking water to loosen the dressing, not hot water that wilts the raw leaves.

  • Essential

    Use Korean chilli flakes for this red version. Very hot cayenne is not an equal-quantity replacement.

  • Essential

    Mix finely minced garlic evenly into the dressing.

  • Optional

    Omit if you prefer a less sweet dressing.

  • Optional

    Omit if unavailable.

  • Optional

    Chop very finely so the leaves stack easily, or omit.

  • Optional

    Omit if unavailable or unsuitable.

Tap each ingredient as you prepare it. Check product labels for egg, soy, sesame, wheat, fish or shellfish where relevant.

02 / You’re ready to cook

Step-by-step cooking

  1. Step 1

    Step 1: Choose undamaged perilla leaves. Rinse gently in clean running water, paying attention to the textured underside. Repeat in clean water as needed to remove grit. Use a clean bowl and utensils; the leaves are eaten raw.

    Choose undamaged perilla leaves. Rinse gently in clean running water, paying attention to the textured underside. Repeat in clean water as needed to remove grit. Use a clean bowl and utensils; the leaves are eaten raw.

  2. Step 2

    Step 2: Drain and gently pat the leaves dry between clean kitchen paper without tearing them. Trim long stems, leaving about 5 mm. Keep the leaves whole and stacked loosely, not crushed into a wet lump.

    Drain and gently pat the leaves dry between clean kitchen paper without tearing them. Trim long stems, leaving about 5 mm. Keep the leaves whole and stacked loosely, not crushed into a wet lump.

  3. Step 3

    Step 3: Mix soy sauce, cold drinking water, gochugaru, minced garlic and optional sugar in a small bowl. Stir in finely chopped spring onion, carrot and sesame if using. The dressing should be loose enough to spread thinly.

    Mix soy sauce, cold drinking water, gochugaru, minced garlic and optional sugar in a small bowl. Stir in finely chopped spring onion, carrot and sesame if using. The dressing should be loose enough to spread thinly.

  4. Step 4

    Step 4: Lay one leaf in a clean shallow food container and brush or spoon on a very thin coating. Add the next leaf and repeat, spreading dressing across each leaf rather than pouring a deep pool over the stack.

    Lay one leaf in a clean shallow food container and brush or spoon on a very thin coating. Add the next leaf and repeat, spreading dressing across each leaf rather than pouring a deep pool over the stack.

  5. Step 5

    Step 5: Continue for all twenty leaves, using only enough dressing to lightly coat them. Close the container and refrigerate immediately. Any unused dressing must also be refrigerated in a separate clean container, not left on the counter.

    Continue for all twenty leaves, using only enough dressing to lightly coat them. Close the container and refrigerate immediately. Any unused dressing must also be refrigerated in a separate clean container, not left on the counter.

  6. Step 6

    Step 6: Serve a few leaves now for a stronger fresh flavour, or rest in the refrigerator for about 1 hour or overnight to soften. Lift with clean chopsticks and keep the remaining stack cold. The 25-minute preparation time does not include the optional cold rest.

    Serve a few leaves now for a stronger fresh flavour, or rest in the refrigerator for about 1 hour or overnight to soften. Lift with clean chopsticks and keep the remaining stack cold. The 25-minute preparation time does not include the optional cold rest.

03 / Enjoy your meal

Finished dish

Finished dish: Fresh perilla leaf kimchi (kkaennip kimchi)
Fresh perilla leaf kimchi (kkaennip kimchi)
Helpful tips

Perilla has a distinctive aroma; ordinary basil does not taste the same. Shiso is the listed alternative, with a different aroma. This is a fresh refrigerated version, not a shelf-stable preserve. Keep at 4°C or below and use within 3–4 days. Refrigerate within 2 hours, or within 1 hour above 32°C.

Enjoy every bite

How to enjoy it

Serve one leaf at a time beside rice and let each person choose how much dressing they want. Keep the remaining leaves covered in the refrigerator.

Serve it with