Gimbap is a must for school field trips and outdoor activities as well as family outings. Whether it’s the anticipation the night before or watching the early morning preparation by mom to pack these rolls in lunch boxes, there is no other dish that takes me back to my childhood like gimbap. Today, gimbap is the most popular on-the-go meal in Korea.

Traditionally, the rice is lightly seasoned with sesame oil and salt. The fillings are individually seasoned and cooked, yielding an interesting combination of textures and flavors. There are many variations of gimbap these days. This recipe is the traditional version my mother used to make for us on our field trip or picnic days. It takes some time to prepare the individual fillings, but the process is easy. 


Yields 5 rolls

Ingredients:

● 2 cups uncooked short-grain rice
(standard measuring cup, not the cup that comes with a rice cooker)

● 1 tablespoon sesame oil

● Salt to taste (about 1/2 teaspoon)

For the beef:

● 180 grams lean, tender beef

● 2 teaspoons soy sauce

● 1 teaspoon rice wine (mirim)

● 1 teaspoon sugar

● 1 teaspoon sesame oil

● 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

For the vegetables:

● 1 small bunch spinach

● 1 teaspoon sesame oil

● Salt to taste ― about 1/4 teaspoon

● 2 medium carrots, julienned

● 5 strips of yellow pickled radish (danmuji)

● 5 strips of seasoned burdock (sold prepared for gimbap)

For fish cake:

● 1 sheet fish cake (eomuk)

● 1 teaspoon soy sauce

● 1/2 teaspoon sugar

● 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

● 2 eggs

● 5 gim (dried seaweed) sheets

Cook the rice using a little less water than usual. (Fresh cooked rice is best for gimbap.)

Cut the beef into thin strips (about 1.5-centimeter thick). Mix well with the next five seasoning ingredients. Marinate while preparing the other ingredients. When ready, in a heated pan, stir-fry over medium-high heat until cooked through, 2-3 minutes.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat and prepare an ice bath. Blanch the spinach, place immediately in the ice bath, then squeeze out the water. Season with the sesame oil and salt.

Heat a lightly oiled pan over medium-high heat. Stir-fry the carrots until softened. Lightly season with pinch of salt.

Cut the fish cake lengthwise into about 2-centimeter-thick strips. Heat a lightly oiled pan over medium heat. Stir-fry the fish cake with the soy sauce, sugar and sesame oil until softened, about 2 minutes.

Crack and beat the eggs in a bowl with a spoon or a fork. Stir in a pinch of salt. Heat a small nonstick pan with a bit of oil. Add the egg, and swirl it around to cover the pan. When the top begins to set, flip it over. Transfer to a cutting board. Cut lengthwise into 2-centimeter-thick strips.

When all the other ingredients are ready, remove the rice from the rice cooker. While the rice is still hot, add the sesame oil and salt. Mix well by lightly folding with a rice paddle or large spoon until evenly seasoned. Add more salt to taste. The rice will cool down during this process.

Put a sheet of gim, shiny side down and longer side toward you, on a cutting board or a bamboo mat if available. Spread about 3/4 cup to 1 cup of rice evenly over the gim, using a rice paddle or, preferably, your fingers.

Lay the prepared ingredients on top of the rice close to the side facing you. Lift the entire bottom edge with both hands and roll over the filling away from you, tucking in the filling with your fingers.

Put firm pressure on the roll with the help of the bamboo mat, if using, to close everything in tightly. Then, continue to roll again, putting pressure on the roll evenly using both hands.

Rub or brush the roll with a little sesame oil for extra flavor and a shiny look. Apply some sesame oil to a sharp knife. (This will keep rice from sticking to the knife. Repeat as necessary after each cut. Wipe the knife with a damp towel if the rice still sticks.) Cut the roll into bite-size pieces.

By Ro Hyo-sun

For more recipes visit www.koreanbapsang.com.