Homemade Method for Stir-fried Perilla Leaves with Pickled Cucumber

Ingredients:Cucumber 1 piece,Perilla leaves 6 pieces, chili pepper 1 piece, garlic 2 cloves

Seasonings: Spanish Olive oil 1 tablespoon (15ml),Dark soy sauce 1 teaspoon (5ml), sugar 1/4 teaspoon (1 gram)

Perilla Grilled Cucumber Recipe

1. Cut the cucumber into slightly thick slices (about the thickness of a one-yuan coin), then salt and let it sit for half an hour before draining off the brine.

2. Chop the garlic into, cut the chili pepper into circles, and chop the perilla leaves finely for later use.

3. Heat a pot with Spanish olive oil, place the cucumber slices on the bottom of the pan, fry over medium heat until slightly colored on both sides before removing them.

4. Add a small amount of Spanish olive oil to the pan again, stir-fry the chopped garlic and chili pepper, perilla leaves for fragrance, then add the fried cucumbers and pour in dark soy sauce and sugar, stir well and finish.

Tips for Perilla Grilled Cucumber

1. The taste of perilla paired with cucumber and chili peppers is unique; give it a try if you haven't had it before—it might change your perception of cucumbers!

2. Cut the cucumber into slices that are somewhat thick to prevent them from breaking or shrinking during frying.

3. If you prefer spicy food, use Sichuan pepper instead of chili peppers.21|Omit this line as it contains a typo. Use peppers.

4. Perilla leaves have a special aroma; they can be found in large markets.

5. Olive oil is not limited to Western cuisine but works well for traditional Chinese dishes too, including stir-frying and deep-frying. Many people keep olive oil in their kitchens these days, so it's worth knowing how to pick a good bottle.

6. Besides buying Spanish extra virgin olive oil directly from the original production area in bottles, look for olive oil stored in darker areas of the supermarket shelves; fluorescent lights accelerate its oxidation. So choose the lower or inner positions where there is less light exposure.

7. After using olive oil at home, make sure to tightly close the lid and store it in a cool, dark place to prevent light from oxidizing it and losing nutrients; this step cannot be overlooked.