Cucumber salad is usually made sweet and tangy, but this time I tried something a little different by adding perilla seed powder.
At first I wondered whether perilla seeds would even go well with cucumber, but it turned out surprisingly nutty and creamy.
The texture is so smooth and mild that even people who aren’t big fans of cucumber can enjoy it.
Let me share this simple yet oddly addictive cucumber perilla salad recipe.
Ingredients
- Cucumber – 2 (thinly sliced for the salad)
(1 T = 15 ml / 0.5 fl oz, 1 t = 5 ml / 0.17 fl oz)
Sauce
- Salt – 1 T (for salting the cucumbers; adjust to taste when seasoning)
- Peeled perilla seed powder – 4 T (tal-pi deulkkae garu; ground perilla seeds with the husk removed, gives a creamy nutty texture; look for it at Korean grocery stores)
- Perilla oil – 2 T (Korean toasted perilla oil; can substitute with sesame oil if unavailable, though the flavor will differ slightly)
- Toasted sesame seeds – to taste (for garnish)
(1 T = 15 ml / 0.5 fl oz, 1 t = 5 ml / 0.17 fl oz)
How to Make It
1Slice the cucumbers as thinly as possible.
2Add 1 T of salt to the sliced cucumbers and let them sit for about 30 minutes to draw out moisture.
3Squeeze the salted cucumbers firmly to remove as much liquid as possible.
Look how much water came out.
Tip: Removing the moisture thoroughly is key, otherwise the perilla powder will turn watery instead of giving that thick, creamy texture.
4Add the peeled perilla seed powder and perilla oil to the squeezed cucumbers.
5Mix everything well, adjusting the seasoning with a little extra salt if needed, until it becomes creamy.
6Finish by sprinkling toasted sesame seeds on top, and it’s ready to serve.
Once the perilla powder meets the moisture from the cucumbers, it turns wonderfully smooth and nutty.
The aroma of perilla oil makes it even more addictive than I expected.
I actually got this idea from a YouTube video, and it turned out so much better than I imagined that I think I’ll be making it often.
Ingredients
- Cucumber – 2 (thinly sliced for the salad)
- (1 T = 15 ml / 0.5 fl oz, 1 t = 5 ml / 0.17 fl oz)
Sauce
- Salt – 1 T (for salting the cucumbers; adjust to taste when seasoning)
- Peeled perilla seed powder – 4 T (tal-pi deulkkae garu; ground perilla seeds with the husk removed, gives a creamy nutty texture; look for it at Korean grocery stores)
- Perilla oil – 2 T (Korean toasted perilla oil; can substitute with sesame oil if unavailable, though the flavor will differ slightly)
- Toasted sesame seeds – to taste (for garnish)
- (1 T = 15 ml / 0.5 fl oz, 1 t = 5 ml / 0.17 fl oz)
How to Make It
- Slice the cucumbers as thinly as possible.
- Add 1 T of salt to the sliced cucumbers and let them sit for about 30 minutes to draw out moisture.
- Squeeze the salted cucumbers firmly to remove as much liquid as possible.
- Add the peeled perilla seed powder and perilla oil to the squeezed cucumbers.
- Mix everything well, adjusting the seasoning with a little extra salt if needed, until it becomes creamy.
- Finish by sprinkling toasted sesame seeds on top, and it's ready to serve.
