Korean Kimbap
How to make and roll

Delicious Korean Kimbap (sometimes referred to as Gimbap) is very easy to make and in contrast to Japanese sushi, which is mainly fish, we use a variety of ingredients and lots of vegetables. What makes Kimbap stand out is that these are made from a whole variety of delicious foods including kimchi, fish, meats and plenty of vegetables.

You can make different types of Kimbap with your choice of vegetable, cucumber, seafood sticks or Salmon. There are many different ingredients you can try, and once you are confident these are easy to make and can be a great lunch or delicious dinner.

I have used the following Ingredients:

  • Seaweed Paper
  • Sushi Rice (Rice needs to be sticky)
  • A bamboo mat makes rolling easier

Then the ingredients for the fillings:

  • Seafood sticks
  • Smoked Salmon
  • Tuna (tined, seasoned with black pepper and mayonnaise)
  • Cucumber
  • Carrot
  • Courgette (zucchini)
  • Mushroom
  • Spinach (boiled, seasoned with salt, sesame oil and soy sauce)
  • Eggs - Make into a thin omelette and slice

Making Rice

Begin by cooking the rice, Kimbap like sushi uses short grain rice, often referred to as sushi rice. This rice is stickier than normal longer or medium grain varieties which is essential for when you are rolling Kimbap. Cook using the instructions on the packet or use a rice cooker if you have one.

Making fillings 

You can make Kimbap using a variety of fillings, and I am going to show you how to make a few.

Spinach

Boil the spinach in a pan, until soft and then drain in a colander. Once the water is drained out, squeeze it to make sure and then season with salt, sesame oil and soy sauce.

Egg

For Egg, you are essentially making it into an omelette and then slice into strips. Mix the Eggs together (2 or 3) in a bowl and fry in a frying pan. You want it to be as thin as possible. Fry both sides and then out on a plate and slice into strips.

Vegetables

Cut all the vegetables where possible into finger slices, and fries the carrot, courgette and mushrooms until nicely cooked, remove from the pan and place on a plate ready for rolling.

Tuna

Take Tuna out of the can and put in a bowl. Drain the water and season with some pepper and mayonnaise to taste.

Rolling Kimbap

A Bamboo mat helps with rolling Kimbap, it enables you to roll it evenly and keep it in shape. I would recommend getting one or using one if you can.

To roll the Kimbap, put a piece of the seaweed paper on the bamboo mat and cover about 3/4 of this with rice. 

Place the fillings for each role near one end of the rice. Gently roll the seaweed paper, taking care not to let the ingredients fall out. When you have rolled the Kimbap, use a few grains or rice to stick the other end of the seaweed paper down.

Serving Kimbap

You can eat the roll whole, or you can slice with a sharp knife to get that clean look which looks pretty on a plate, you may find some ingredients hanging out of the end, this is normal. 

Serve with a dip of Soy sauce and wasabi or eat plain for a delicious meal. You can serve them with other Korean dishes, like Ddukbokki, Sundae or fishcake soup.

Leftovers

If you have some leftover Kimbap, don’t let this go to waste. Keep them in a fridge overnight. Whisk a couple of eggs in a bowl and then coat the kimbap. Fry them in a pan on both sides until brown. You will have a delicious left-over dish.


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