Korean Napa Cabbage Perilla Stir-fry
Quick answer
- Total time
- 20 min
- Level
- Easy
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Ingredients
- 9
About this dish
This napa cabbage stir-fry turns 2.5 tablespoons ground perilla into a lightly thickened sauce after the cabbage has completed its covered cooking stage.
Read more
Cut 500 g napa cabbage into 3 cm pieces without separating stems and leaves. Slice 70 g onion into 0.5 cm strips. Heat 1.5 tablespoons perilla oil over medium-high heat and stir-fry 1 tablespoon minced garlic with the onion for 1 minute. Add the cabbage, raise the heat to high, and toss constantly for 2 minutes, until oil coats the pieces and their outer surfaces look translucent. Pour in 120 ml water and 1 tablespoon soup soy sauce. Cover, lower the heat to medium-low, and cook for 3 minutes. The leaves should soften while the stems retain a slight bite. Add the ground perilla and stir steadily for another 2 minutes so it disperses through the liquid and thickens evenly. Season with 0.3 teaspoon salt and 0.1 teaspoon black pepper. Turn off the heat when the sauce no longer runs thin but a shallow amount still remains on the pan bottom. Cover and rest for 2 minutes before transferring. If the sauce is still loose at the expected stopping point, remove the lid and stir so the ground perilla can absorb the moisture evenly.
Ingredients
As an Amazon Associate, we may earn from qualifying purchases.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Prep
Cut napa cabbage (500 g) into 3 cm wide pieces, keeping stems and leaves together rather than separating them, and slice the onion (70 g) into thin 0.5 cm strips.
- 2Control
Heat perilla oil (1.5 tbsp) in a pan over medium-high heat until shimmering, add minced garlic (1 tbsp) and onion, and stir-fry for about 1 minute until the garlic aroma rises.
- 3Control
Add the cabbage and stir-fry over high heat for 2 minutes, tossing constantly so the oil coats every piece evenly; the cabbage edges will turn translucent and slightly golden by the end.
- 4Control
Pour in water (120 ml) and soup soy sauce (1 tbsp), cover with a lid, and cook over medium-low heat for 3 minutes until stems retain a slight bite and leaves turn soft.
- 5Control
Add ground perilla seeds (2.5 tbsp) and stir steadily so they dissolve evenly into the cooking liquid, simmer for 2 more minutes to thicken, then season with salt (0.3 tsp) and a pinch of pepper.
- 6Finish
Remove from heat while a thin layer of sauce still coats the bottom, cover the pan and rest for 2 minutes so the steam finishes cooking, then transfer to a serving dish.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Perilla powder stirred in off-heat turns baby napa cabbage into a nutty, aromatic stir-fry banchan.
- Finish cue
- Remove from heat while a thin layer of sauce still coats the bottom, cover the pan and rest for 2 minutes so the steam finishes cooking, then transfer to a serving dish.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official cooking and food safety guidance.
This recipe
20min, 9 ingredients
Category median
25min, 8 ingredients
Based on 220 recipes
Use-up ingredient planner
Turn these ingredients into two more meals
The overlap excludes basic seasonings. Open the next recipe and your selected dishes will stay with you.
Korean Napa Cabbage Anchovy Stew
napa cabbage, onion
Korean Eggplant, Perilla & Tofu Stew
onion, ground perilla seeds
Korean Chicken Breast Perilla Porridge
onion, ground perilla seeds