Korean Seasoned Chili Leaves
Gochuip - chili pepper leaves - are harvested after the peppers themselves have been picked, a practice rooted in Korean rural frugality where nothing from the kitchen garden goes to waste. The leaves are at their most tender and fragrant in August and September, after the main pepper harvest. Blanched for one minute to temper bitterness, squeezed dry, and dressed with soy sauce, gochugaru, garlic, sesame oil, and sesame seeds. The leaves carry a distinctive faintly bitter, herbaceous note that overlaps with the gochugaru's heat in a way no other Korean green replicates. Because the thin leaves absorb seasoning rapidly, this namul is fully flavored from the moment it is dressed.
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Instructions
- 1
Trim thick stems from chili leaves and wash thoroughly.
- 2
Blanch for 40 seconds, rinse in cold water, and squeeze dry.
- 3
Cut into bite-sized lengths and transfer to a bowl.
- 4
Mix soy sauce, red pepper flakes, garlic, green onion, sesame oil, and sesame seeds.
- 5
Add dressing to the leaves and toss gently.
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