KimBap 김밥 (Korean Seaweed Rice Rolls)

A Korean dish made from steamed white rice and various vegetables and meat ingredients rolled in a sheet of seaweed paper.

KimBap 김밥 (Korean Seaweed Rice Rolls)

Ingredients:
3 cups of steamed Korean White Rice (short-grained Rice)
5 sheets Seaweed Paper (Nori)
5 pcs Immitation Crab Sticks (Surimi)
5 strips Pickled Daikon Radish (Danmuji), pre-cut, or cut a whole daikon radish into long strips
5 strips Burdock
1 Cucumber, seedless, sliced lengthwise
5 pcs strips Ham, cooked
3 Eggs, well-beaten, with 2 pinches of salt

Cooking Oil

Sesame Oil

Salt

Rice Seasoning:

1 tbsp Asian Sesame Oil

1 tbsp roasted Sesame Seeds

1 tsp Sea Salt

Tools:

Bamboo or Silicone Sushi Rolling Mat (Makisu)

Instructions:

Place the other stuffing (crab sticks, pickled radish, burdock, ham sticks) for the kimbap on a plate. Set aside.

Cook the beaten eggs.

Heat a pan, add-in cooking oil and wipe out the excess oil from the pan with a paper towel.

Lower the heat and add-in the egg mixture to cover the whole pan. (It’ll be easier to use a small pan to make the thick layer. Otherwise, carefully roll the egg layer from one end to the other end to make a thick layer.)

Cut the eggs into 1/2” strips, and set aside.

Season the  sliced Cucumbers.

Sprinkle 1 tsp sea salt onto the sliced cucumber, leave to set for 5 minutes; then rinse with cold running water once.

Wipe excess water off with a paper towel, and set aside.

Prepare the Rice.

In a large bowl, Add-in the 3 cups of steamed rice. Then, add-in the sesame oil, sesame seeds, and salt into the rice.

Gently mix with a rice paddle to season evenly and to let the steam out. (Be careful not to mash the rice!)

Rice should still be warm, but not steaming hot. Cover the seasoned rice with a cling wrap so it will not get dry.

Roll the kimbap.

Lay the bamboo mat on a clean counter top.

Place the seaweed paper (shiny side down) onto the bamboo mat.

Then, spread rice on the seaweed paper to fill about 2/3.

Stack the stuffing on top of the rice (in the lower part). Do not spread them around but put them tightly close to each other.

Roll it slowly. Occasionally press and squeeze to keep the shape tight. Repeat the “roll-press-roll-press” process. (Rolling it tightly is very important!) Be careful not to tear the seaweed paper.

When you reach toward the end, put some rice onto it to help seal it shut.

Squeeze gently to get a good shape of the roll.

Apply some sesame oil on the surface of the rolled kimbap.

Apply a little sesame oil to your knife blade.

Cut kimbap into 1/2-1/3” thick.

Place on a serving plate, or pack in a lunchbox for picnic.

Happy Eating!!