Kimbap is the perfect make-ahead food that you can bring to any trip or picnic. It literally has everything such as rice, protein, and vegetables all packed to go on any occasion.
One of the things that I love about Kimbap is that it is very versatile. You can put whatever filling you’d like. Classic, tuna, or vegetarian, make it according to your heart’s desire.
Another thing I love is that it yields a lot. With the several ingredients you have in hand, you can make several rolls which makes it perfect for sharing with family or friends when you gather for a meal or special occasion.
While there are many different ways to make this classic Korean dish, I think the things to consider here are the combination of taste and aesthetics.
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Seasoned Rice
One of the most important aspects of kimbap is the savory and nutty taste of sesame oil. It’s pretty much like how olive oil is to Italians. For kimbap, you use it to season the rice and coat the whole roll. No matter what you put inside, the taste of the sesame oil should be one of the prominent tastes you must get from the kimbap.
No special rice is needed in making this. But you do need to cook the rice a little bit on the sticky side for it to hold. Season it while it is warm, and let it cool a bit before placing it in the seaweed. The temperature should be in the middle because using hot rice would break the seaweed, and putting cold rice will make it too dry.
TIP: As you prepare the ingredients, always season gradually. You can always add, but you cannot remove if you overseason.
Proteins
For the proteins, the classic kimbap has crabstick, eggs, and either Korean ham, sausage, beef, fishcake, or tuna with mayo. Either way, they are all interchangeable and you can add or remove from these options according to your preference. Do note that when you use pork or beef, it will have a stronger and savorier taste depending on how you saute it.
TIP: The eggs should be cut into strips and you can go about it several ways – one, scramble and cook it flat then cut it into strips; two, make Korean rolled omelette and cut it into strips.
Vegetables
There are several vegetables you can place inside kimbap and you can also use one or the other according to your preference. Aside from preference, you can also consider the color combination to make sure your food comes out pretty!
Cucumber: Remove the seeds and slice it julienne
Carrots: Slice it julienne, saute for a couple of minutes, and season with salt
Spinach: Blanch, drain, and season with salt, sesame oil, and sesame seeds
Pickled Radish or Danmuji: If you have the whole danmuji, cut it in strips, but it is also available and readily cut in Korean marts. While there are many vegetables in kimbap, this one really cuts through and perfectly complements the savory taste of the seasoned rice.
Other vegetables you can add: Burdock Root, Seasoned Cabbage, Kimchi, Perilla Leaves, etc
Packing It All Together
In making kimbap, you roll everything into the dried seaweed. Several tips to make it work:
- Prepare your ingredients. Once everything is set, you can focus on tucking and rolling continuously until you get the rhythm of it.
- Make sure the smooth side is outside, while the rough side is inside.
- Lay the rice flat on the seaweed while leaving an inch at the bottom to keep the fillings from overflowing. Use bits of rice in that empty part to serve as glue to lock the roll.
- When placing each ingredient, place the whole strips of crabsticks or danmuji on the side and put the julienned pieces in the middle to ensure that they are all locked in.
- When rolling the kimbap, it is really dependent on you whether you like to use a bamboo roller or not. I personally don’t like using it because it allows me to tuck the kimbap better.
- Just like making sushi, you roll and tuck the kimbap slowly but surely. Tuck in every inch and roll as you go. Tuck gently, otherwise, it might pop!
- Brush the kimbap with sesame oil and let it rest for a few minutes to hold together before slicing.
- In slicing the kimbap, use a sharp wet, or oiled knife and make big slice motions to ensure it cuts through easily. Slicing it back and forth might break the seaweeds and the whole roll.
Serving Kimbap
Some people may call this Korean Sushi. The difference really lies in the fact that Kimbap has a lot more elements and leans on the savory side, while Japanese sushi uses fewer ingredients and a variety of fresh/raw fish.
To serve, plate the kimbap beautifully before serving or place it in the bento box and eat on the go. It is recommended to consume it the same day as you made it. For any leftovers, it is preferable to keep them unsliced or sliced but rolled and tucked in a foil as a whole and kept in the fridge to keep them from drying out.
To reheat, you can microwave it or dip it in egg and then fry it in a pan. Whichever you go about it, kimbap does not really need any dipping sauce. However, it is perfect when paired with tteokbokki or kimchi.
Other Korean classics you may like:
- Korean Glass Noodles (Japchae)
- Black Bean Noodles (Jajangmyeon)
- Spicy Chicken Stew (Dakdoritang)
- Spicy Pork Stir Fry (Jeyuk Bokkeum)
- Korean Braised Beef Short Ribs (Galbi Jjim)
Make sure to leave a rating, a comment, or tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Tiktok when you chop them up! Yeobosayo!
Classic Kimbap Recipe
Ingredients
Rice
- 5-6 sheets Seaweed Paper
- 500 grams Rice Cooked and cooled
- 2 tbsp Sesame Oil
- Salt To taste
- Sesame Seeds
Fillings
- 2-3 pcs Crabsticks
- 2-3 pcs Eggs
- 5-6 strips Pork, Beef, Ham, or Fishcake
- 1 pc Cucumber
- 1 pc Carrots
- Spinach
- 5-6 pcs Danmuji
- Spinach
- Salt To taste
- 1 1/2 tbsp Sesame Oil
- Sesame Seeds
- Vegetable or Canola Oil For sauteing
Instructions
- Season the rice with sesame oil, salt, and sesame seeds. Mix thoroughly and set aside.
- Crabstick: Defrost and slice in half.
- Eggs: Beat the eggs and cook a thin layer in a pan and slice it into strips. Or make a rolled omelette and slice it into strips.
- Meat: According to your preference, season the meat either with salt and pepper or bulgogi sauce.
- Cucumbers: Remove the seeds and slice julienne.
- Carrots: Slice julienne and saute for a couple of minutes and season with salt.
- Danmuji: Drain and slice into strips as needed.
- Spinach: Blanch and drain, then season with sesame oil, salt, and sesame seeds.
- Once the ingredients are prepared, lay the seaweed on a flat surface, smooth side down.
- Grab a handful of rice and spread it out evenly in the seaweed, but make sure to leave an inch at the bottom.
- Place the ingredients one by one, making sure that the strips that are whole (crabsticks, danmuji, etc) are all on the side while putting the julienned vegetables in the middle.
- Once all the ingredients are placed on top of the rice, roll, tuck every inch, and roll again until you are able to close the whole thing.
- Use small pieces of rice on the ends of the seaweed to serve as a lock for it.
- Coat each roll with sesame oil and let it rest for several minutes before cutting.
- After resting, wet or oil the knife and make big slicing motions to cut the kimbap.
- Plate or place in a bento box and serve. Garnish with sesame seeds. Enjoy!
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