Kimbap is Korea’s hottest on-the-go meal! Learn to make a basic model at dwelling with this recipe with a step-by-step information!
What’s kimbap?
Kimbap (or gimbap, 김밥) is a Korean seaweed rice roll crammed with a wide range of scrumptious fillings. Gim (김) is a dried seaweed, and bap is rice. With numerous fillings, these rice rolls have an attention-grabbing mixture of textures and flavors.
All of us grew up on these rice rolls. Our college discipline journeys, outside actions, and household street journeys wouldn’t have been full with out them! Right now, kimbap is the preferred grab-and-go meal in Korea. You may virtually discover it all over the place with so many variations.
The most effective one for me, nevertheless, is the basic kimbap my mom used to make for us on our discipline journey/picnic days. I really like making these rice rolls at dwelling. It takes a while to organize particular person fillings and rolling takes some follow, however the course of is straightforward and enjoyable.
Kimbap components
Gim, rice, and a few fillings are the three parts of seaweed rice rolls. Whereas kimbap fillings are extremely versatile with infinite choices, I’ve included the basic components on this recipe:
- gim, 김 (dried seaweed, aka nori)
- rice (quick/medium grain rice)
- danmuji, 단무지 (pickled radish) – sometimes yellow however I like white ones with out meals coloring if out there
- beef – any tender lower of beef, bulgogi meat, or floor beef
- eomuk, 어묵 (fish cake)
- eggs
- carrots
- spinach – cucumber is an efficient substitute. See my Vegan Kimbap for making ready cucumbers.
- burdock root (우엉) – You may normally discover packages of burdock root pre-prepared for kimbap normally subsequent to pickled radishes (danmuji). Or, you can also make your individual, utilizing my recipe.
You may regulate the quantity and the quantity of the filling components to your liking. Omit any ingredient(s) you don’t need or have, and/or add any components you want.
Gim (dried seaweed)
Yow will discover seaweed sheets made for kimbap (or sushi) at Korean/Asian markets or on-line. They’re barely thick to carry the rice and all of the fillings and flippantly roasted.
Rice for kimbap
You’ll want quick grain rice. For more healthy choices, I generally combine in some brown rice or multigrain rice. Cook dinner the rice barely drier than regular by utilizing rather less water. Then, flippantly season it with sesame oil and salt for a nutty and savory be aware Korean kimbap is thought for.
Every roll takes about 3/4 to 1 cup of cooked rice. For this recipe, I used 1.5 cups of uncooked rice for 4 rolls. For those who cook dinner 2 cups of rice, you can also make 5 or 6 rolls.
Making ready filling components
Whereas it takes a while to organize the filling components, the method is easy. Evenly season every ingredient as all of the components, together with the rice, will probably be seasoned. Picked radish and burdock roots are particularly salty.
For vegan kimbap, omit beef, fish cake and eggs and add extra greens, tofu, and so on. Additionally see my Vegan Kimbap.
Variation – Woo Younger Woo Kimbap
Woo Younger Woo kimbap gained recognition on social media due to the Netflix Korean drama – Extraordinary Lawyer Woo (summer time 2022). Woo is an excellent lawyer with an autism spectrum dysfunction. She loves and eats kimbap for each meal. She says kimbap is trustable. There are not any surprises in texture and style as she will see all of the components at a look.
So, what’s in Woo Younger Woo kimbap? Ham, crab sticks, fish cake (eomuk), braised burdock root (ueong jorim), egg, spinach, and carrot. No beef! These are all quite common kimbap components. You may simply do that at dwelling by omitting the meat from this recipe and including some Korean ham (pan-fried) and crab sticks (imitation crabmeat).
Rolling kimbap
How arduous is the rolling course of? It takes some follow, but it surely’s a lot simpler together with your second roll. Roll it tightly by placing agency, even strain together with your palms all around the roll. Begin with a small quantity of every filling if that is your first time.
Suggestions for making kimbap
- Freshly cooked rice is finest for making kimbap. Maintain it heat till prepared to make use of.
- Season the rice after all of the filling components are prepared. Combine the rice with sesame oil and salt whereas the rice remains to be scorching/heat.
- Maintain the filling components as dry as attainable by eradicating extra water.
- Evenly season every filling ingredient. Pickled radish and burdock roots are salty.
- Moist your fingers with water or sesame oil earlier than spreading the rice onto the seaweed to stop the rice from sticking to your palms. It helps to have a small bowl with water/sesame oil subsequent to your rolling-station.
- Use a pointy knife for reducing your rolls. Make a clear slicing movement and make the complete slice in a single go. Clear the knife with a moist kitchen towel between cuttings as crucial.
- Retailer the sliced gimbap in an hermetic container. Gimbap is finest eaten on the day it’s made, however you may preserve it within the fridge and reheat both within the microwave or in a pan. Generally, we dip refrigerated gimbap in egg batter and pan fry. A scrumptious strategy to revive gimbap!
READY TO ROLL?
Directions
- Cook dinner the rice utilizing rather less water than traditional. (Freshly cooked rice is finest for gimbap.) Maintain it heat till all of the filling components are prepared.
- Minimize the meat into skinny strips (about 1/2-inch thick). Combine effectively with the subsequent 5 seasoning components. Put aside.
- Convey a big pot of water to a boil over excessive warmth and put together a chilly water tub. Blanch the spinach, place instantly in chilly water, then squeeze out extra water. Season with the sesame oil and salt.
- Crack and beat the eggs, in a bowl with a spoon or a fork. Stir in a pinch of salt. Warmth a small non-stick pan over medium-low warmth. Add the eggs to the pan. When the underside is ready however the prime remains to be runny, flip it over 1/3 approach and once more to make a thick omelette. Switch to a reducing board and let it cool. Minimize lengthwise into 1/2-inch thick strips. (You may make a skinny, spherical egg omelette and use 2 items per every roll, if it is simpler for you.)
- Julienne the carrots. Warmth a flippantly oiled pan over medium-high warmth. Stir-fry the carrots till softened. Evenly season with a pinch of salt. Switch to a plate.
- Minimize the fish cake lengthwise into about 3/4-inch thick strips. Warmth the pan with cooking oil (about 1 teaspoon) over medium warmth. Stir fry the fish cake with the soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil till softened, about 2 minutes.
- Stir-fry the meat over medium-high warmth till cooked by, 2 – 3 minutes.
- Organize all of the components collectively on a plate.
- Whereas the rice remains to be scorching/heat, add the sesame oil and salt. Combine effectively by flippantly folding with a rice paddle or massive spoon till evenly seasoned. Add extra salt to style if wanted.
- Put a seaweed sheet, shiny facet down and longer facet in the direction of you, on a reducing board or a bamboo mat if out there. Unfold about 3/4 cup to 1 cup of rice evenly over the seaweed, utilizing a rice paddle or your fingers ideally. Go away about 1.5 inch area on the prime.
- Lay the ready components on prime of the rice, leaving some uncovered rice on the prime for sealing.
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Elevate the complete backside edge with each palms and roll over the filling away from you, tucking within the filling together with your fingers. Put agency strain over the roll with the assistance of the bamboo mat (or aluminium foil), if utilizing, to shut every little thing in tightly. Then, proceed to roll once more, placing strain evenly over the roll utilizing each palms.
- Rub or brush the roll with just a little little bit of sesame oil for further taste and glossy look. Apply just a little little bit of sesame oil to a pointy knife. (This may preserve rice from sticking to the knife. Repeat as crucial after every lower. Wipe the knife with a moist towel as wanted.) Minimize the roll into 1/2-inch thick chew sizes.
Notes
- Every roll takes about 3/4 to 1 cup of cooked rice. For this recipe, I used 1.5 cups of uncooked rice for 4 rolls. For those who cook dinner 2 cups of rice, you can also make 5 or 6 rolls.
- You may regulate the quantity and the quantity of the filling components to your liking. Omit any ingredient(s) you do not need or have, and/or add any components you want.
- Cucumber is nice as an alternative to spinach or as an addition. See my Vegan Kimbap for making ready cucumbers.