One of my favorite things to make for a picnic or bento boxes is Kimbap, also known as Korean Seaweed Rice Rolls.
Kimbap is easy to make at home, and you can customize it with any filling you choose.
Today we are making a vegetarian recipe, but you can add bulgogi beef, canned tuna, or fish cakes!
You would never know that this delicious kimbap has five vegetables!
This year for my husband’s birthday, I surprised him with a trip to a private arcade, and I made his favorite, Kimbap, and Korean Cabbage Sandwich.
I wanted to pack something that was easy to eat and could be eaten at room temperature. Kimbap is super healthy and nutritious as it contains so many vegetables.
If you want to make a Korean cabbage sandwich, I used my crispy cabbage pancake as the filling, which you can find here.
You can add in any fillings of your choice for your Kimbap.
Today I am adding cucumber, pickled radish and burdock root, egg, spinach, and carrots. All the ingredients are easy to prepare, but you do have to prepare them separately.
This step is the longest part of making kimbap, but you are just slicing, and that’s it! You can also add in other proteins such as bulgogi beef, fish cake, canned, and much more.
Rolling kimbap takes a little practice, but once you get the hang of it, it is super easy!
You will need to use a bamboo mat which makes it extra easy! If you want a more detailed tutorial, check out Maangchi’s YouTube video, where she shares how to roll kimbap!
- Place a sheet of dried seaweed onto the bamboo mat. Look closely at the seaweed; you can see slight lines; you want it to have the same direction you are rolling, so make sure the seaweed lines are horizontal.
- Add around ½ cup of rice on top of the seaweed sheet (around ½ of the dried seaweed sheet) and make sure it is evenly spread so that way when you slice it, the rice will be evenly distributed. The rice can get sticky, so wet your hands with water; this will prevent it from becoming sticky.
- Next, add the fillings on top of each other; once again, make sure they are evenly distributed. I like to press down to ensure all the fillings stay in place.
- Finally, roll with both hands and slightly tuck the seaweed under, making sure it is tightly packed with no air bubbles. Add a few grains of cooked rice or some water at the top of the seaweed to seal it all up.
- To finish off, brush sesame oil over the seaweed and garnish with sesame seeds.
Do you want more easy Korean Recipes? Here are some of my personal favorite recipes!
- Jjajangmyeon Noodles (Korean Noodles in Black Bean Paste)
- Korean Short Rib Bibimbap
- Budae Jjigae – Korean Army Stew (Most Popular Hotpot Dish in Korea!)
- 4 Korean Side Dishes (less than 30 minutes)
Ingredients (to make 4)
- 4 sheets of dried seaweed sheets
- 2 Eggs
- 1 cup Spinach
- 1 cup Carrot, sliced
- 4 pickled radish and burdock root
- 2 mini cucumbers, sliced
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 1 tablespoon sushi seasoning
- 3 tablespoon sesame oil
- Sesame seeds to garnish
- Salt and pepper to season
TOOLS:
RICE:
- Cook short grain rice based on instruction; once cooked, fluff it up with a fork and add in sushi seasoning. This step is optional and not traditional, but I like the tang it gives.
- Cover and let the cool down so it is easy to work with.
SPINACH:
- Blanch the spinach in hot boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water, and squeeze out all the excess water.
- Season with one tablespoon of sesame oil and a pinch of salt. Massage well and set aside.
CARROT:
- Saute sliced carrots with sesame oil and a pinch of salt for 4-5 minutes or until soft. Set aside to cool down.
EGG:
- Crack 2 eggs and season with salt and pepper. Beat until fully combined.
- In a non-stick pan, drizzle in a little bit of oil, and pour in the eggs. Spread so the egg is evenly spread.
- Cook on low heat for around 2 minutes or until the bottom of the egg is cooked. Flip, and cook on the other side for another 2-3 minutes.
- Let it rest to cool down, and cut into ½-inch wide strips.
ASSEMBLE:
- Place a sheet of dried seaweed onto the bamboo mat. Look closely at the seaweed; you can see slight lines; you want it to have the same direction you are rolling, so make sure the seaweed lines are horizontal.
- Add around ½ cup of rice on top of the seaweed sheet (around ½ of the dried seaweed sheet) and make sure it is evenly spread so that way when you slice it, the rice will be evenly distributed. The rice can get sticky, so wet your hands with water; this will prevent it from becoming sticky.
- Next, add the fillings on top of each other; once again, make sure they are evenly distributed. I like to press down to ensure all the fillings stay in place.
- Finally, roll with both hands and slightly tuck the seaweed under, making sure it is tightly packed with no air bubbles. Add a few grains of cooked rice or some water at the top of the seaweed to seal it all up.
- To finish off, brush sesame oil over the seaweed and garnish with sesame seeds.
Kimbap
One of my favorite things to make for a picnic or bento boxes is Kimbap, also known as Korean Seaweed Rice Rolls. Kimbap is easy to make at home, and you can customize it with any filling you choose. Today we are making a vegetarian recipe, but you can add bulgogi beef, canned tuna, or fish cakes! You would never know that this delicious kimbap has five vegetables!
Yield: 4 People
Materials
- 4 sheets of dried seaweed sheets
- 2 Eggs
- 1 cup Spinach
- 1 cup Carrot sliced
- 4 pickled radish and burdock root
- 2 mini cucumbers sliced
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 1 tablespoon sushi seasoning
- 3 tablespoon sesame oil
- Sesame seeds to garnish
- Salt and pepper to season
Instructions
RICE:
- Cook short grain rice based on instruction; once cooked, fluff it up with a fork and add in sushi seasoning. This step is optional and not traditional, but I like the tang it gives.
- Cover and let the cool down so it is easy to work with.
SPINACH:
- Blanch the spinach in hot boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water, and squeeze out all the excess water.
- Season with one tablespoon of sesame oil and a pinch of salt. Massage well and set aside.
CARROT:
- Saute sliced carrots with sesame oil and a pinch of salt for 4-5 minutes or until soft. Set aside to cool down.
EGG:
- Crack 2 eggs and season with salt and pepper. Beat until fully combined.
- In a non-stick pan, drizzle in a little bit of oil, and pour in the eggs. Spread so the egg is evenly spread.
- Cook on low heat for around 2 minutes or until the bottom of the egg is cooked. Flip, and cook on the other side for another 2-3 minutes.
- Let it rest to cool down, and cut into ½-inch wide strips.
ASSEMBLE:
- Place a sheet of dried seaweed onto the bamboo mat. Look closely at the seaweed; you can see slight lines; you want it to have the same direction you are rolling, so make sure the seaweed lines are horizontal.
- Add around ½ cup of rice on top of the seaweed sheet (around ½ of the dried seaweed sheet) and make sure it is evenly spread so that way when you slice it, the rice will be evenly distributed. The rice can get sticky, so wet your hands with water; this will prevent it from becoming sticky.
- Next, add the fillings on top of each other; once again, make sure they are evenly distributed. I like to press down to ensure all the fillings stay in place.
- Finally, roll with both hands and slightly tuck the seaweed under, making sure it is tightly packed with no air bubbles. Add a few grains of cooked rice or some water at the top of the seaweed to seal it all up.
- To finish off, brush sesame oil over the seaweed and garnish with sesame seeds.
Notes
You can also add in other proteins such as bulgogi beef, fish cake, canned, and much more.
