Perilla leaf jeons are one of the Korean foods we like to make when fresh perilla leaves are available from our garden. In Korea, these pan-fried dishes are called jeon. Jeon can be made with many different vegetables, meats, seafood, and other ingredients. We made this version with fresh perilla leaves, ground pork, tofu, and chopped vegetables.
We like this recipe because the perilla leaves add a fresh, slightly different flavor to the filling. The filling is also easy to prepare ahead of time. If we have more filling than we need for the perilla leaves, we do not throw it away. We simply shape the leftover mixture into small, flat rounds and make another Korean dish called donggeurangttaeng.
This is one of those recipes that does not need to be perfectly measured to work well. The amount of perilla leaves can change depending on how many are ready to use. We usually prepare enough flour, egg, and cooking oil as needed.
What Is Perilla Leaf Jeon?
Perilla leaf jeon is a Korean pan-fried dish made by filling or coating perilla leaves and cooking them in a lightly oiled pan. The leaves are soft enough to fold around a filling, but they are also strong enough to hold the mixture while cooking.
For this recipe, we use a filling made from ground pork and tofu. We also add onion, carrot, king oyster mushroom, and green onion. Garlic, salt, cooking wine, egg, black pepper, crushed sesame seeds, and sesame oil give the filling its basic seasoning.
The important part is keeping the filling from becoming too wet. Tofu contains quite a bit of water, and vegetables can also release moisture while cooking. Removing extra water from the tofu helps the filling hold together better.
Ingredients
For the filling
- 500 g ground pork
- 450 g firm tofu
- 100 g onion
- 50 g carrot
- 60 g king oyster mushroom
- 40 g green onion
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cooking wine
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon crushed sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
For the perilla leaves
- Fresh perilla leaves, as needed
- Flour, as needed
- Eggs, as needed
- Cooking oil, as needed
The number of perilla leaves needed depends on their size. We do not try to make every jeon exactly the same size. The larger leaves are useful when we want more filling, while smaller leaves work well for smaller pieces.
Preparing the Pork and Tofu Filling
First, we remove excess moisture from the ground pork with a paper towel. We put the pork in a bowl and add the cooking wine, salt, minced garlic, and black pepper.
We knead the pork mixture well with our hands. This step is simple, but we find that it helps the seasoning spread through the meat instead of staying in just one part of the mixture.
Next, we prepare the tofu.
We remove as much water from the tofu as we can. Then we place the tofu on a cutting board and use the back of a knife to mash and chop it into small pieces. There is no need to make it completely smooth. A little texture is fine.
We add the tofu to the seasoned pork and knead the two ingredients together until they are well mixed.
Then we finely chop the onion, carrot, king oyster mushroom, and green onion.
We add the chopped vegetables, crushed sesame seeds, sesame oil, and an egg to the pork and tofu mixture. We mix everything well.
At this point, the filling is ready.
The mixture should be moist enough to hold together, but it should not be overly watery. If there is too much moisture, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of flour to adjust the consistency.
Preparing the Perilla Leaves
We wash the perilla leaves well and shake off most of the water. We do not dry them completely.
This small amount of moisture is useful when adding the flour. We lightly dust one side of each wet leaf with flour and then shake off the extra flour.
The thin layer of flour has an important job. It helps the filling stick to the leaf.
We put about one tablespoon of filling on one half of the leaf. Then we spread the filling into a thin layer.
It is important not to make the filling too thick.
If there is too much filling, the outside can brown before the center is fully cooked. A thinner layer also makes it easier to fold the leaf without breaking it.
After spreading the filling over one half, we fold the other half of the perilla leaf over it.
Now the filled perilla leaf is ready for the egg coating.
Flour, Egg, and Pan-Frying
Once folded, we lightly dust the filled leaves with flour again and dip them into beaten egg seasoned with a pinch of salt.
We heat a frying pan and add enough cooking oil to cover the bottom of the pan.
We place the coated perilla leaves in the pan and cook them on medium heat.
Medium heat is important for this recipe.
If the heat is too high, the outside can become dark or burn while the pork filling inside is still cooking. Cooking more slowly over medium heat gives the filling enough time to cook while allowing the outside to become nicely golden.
We cook both sides until they are lightly browned and cooked through.
There is no need to press the jeon hard with a spatula. We usually turn them once the first side has developed a light golden color and then finish cooking the other side.
Because the filling contains pork, we make sure the center is fully cooked before taking the jeon from the pan.
A Small Cleanup Step Makes a Difference
When we make a large batch, we often cook one pan, remove the finished jeon, and start another batch.
Before cooking the next batch, we wipe the pan with a paper towel to remove small pieces of flour, egg, and filling left behind.
This is a small step, but it makes a noticeable difference.
If the leftover bits stay in the pan, they can burn during the next batch and stick to the new jeon. The oil can also become cloudy and dirty.
A quick wipe between batches helps the next jeon cook more cleanly and gives them a nicer appearance.
We learned this from making several batches rather than from trying to make the recipe look perfect the first time.
What We Do With Leftover Filling
Sometimes we prepare more filling than we need for the perilla leaves.
There is no reason to worry about leftover filling.
We simply take the remaining mixture and shape it into small, flat rounds. Then we coat each piece with flour, dip it in beaten egg, and pan-fry it in the same way.
These small meat-and-tofu patties are called donggeurangttaeng.
They are another familiar type of Korean jeon. The name comes from their round shape, and they are often made with a mixture of ground meat and vegetables.
For us, this is also a practical way to use everything we prepared. Instead of trying to guess the exact amount of filling needed for every perilla leaf, we can use the leftovers for another dish.
Making Perilla Leaf Jeon From Our Garden
When we grow perilla in our Calgary garden, harvesting the leaves is part of deciding what we will cook next.
We do not always have leaves that are exactly the same size. Some are large and some are small. That is not a problem for this recipe.
The larger leaves are easy to fold around the filling. Smaller leaves can be used for smaller jeon, or several can be prepared for a meal.
This is one reason we enjoy growing Korean vegetables in Calgary. A garden does not always produce a perfectly measured amount of one ingredient. Instead, we harvest what is ready and decide how to use it.
For us, perilla leaves are especially useful because they can be used in several Korean dishes. We can harvest a few leaves when we need them or pick more when the plants are growing well.
This recipe is a good example of how our garden and kitchen are connected. We start with leaves from the garden, prepare a filling with ingredients from the kitchen, and cook everything in a frying pan.
Our Tips for Making Better Perilla Leaf Jeon
The most important thing we learned is to control moisture.
Too much water in the tofu or vegetables can make the filling loose. A loose filling is harder to spread and can come out when the leaf is folded.
The second important point is the thickness of the filling. We spread it fairly thin instead of making a thick layer.
The third is cooking temperature. Medium heat works better than high heat because the pork needs enough time to cook through.
Finally, keeping the pan clean between batches helps. Small pieces of egg, flour, and filling can burn quickly and make the next batch look darker than the first.
These are not complicated techniques. They are simply small things we have found useful after making the dish ourselves.
A Simple Korean Garden-to-Table Meal
Perilla leaf jeon may look like a special dish, but the basic process is quite practical.
We use fresh perilla leaves, make a filling from ingredients we already have, coat the leaves with flour and egg, and cook them in a frying pan.
When the filling is left over, we turn it into round meat-and-tofu patties.
That makes this recipe especially useful when we have a good harvest of perilla leaves. We do not need every leaf to be the same size, and we do not need to measure every piece of filling exactly.
For us, this is what makes home cooking enjoyable. The garden gives us what it is ready to give, and the kitchen gives us different ways to use it.
If you have fresh perilla leaves available, this is one Korean recipe worth trying. The combination of the soft leaf, seasoned pork and tofu filling, and lightly browned egg coating makes a simple pan-fried dish that fits well with a Korean home meal.