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Recipes and stories from a Korean American kitchen

Rolling with Kimbap #SundaySupper

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#SundaySupper is a group of bloggers who are on a mission to bring back sunday supper around the family table in every home. 

Kimbap (literally translated, seaweed rice) conjures memories of picnics on warm summer days, road trips, and home. There’s minimal time spent in front of the stove, it’s relatively easy, convenient, neat and travels well. It’s takes a bit of time, but you will not be disappointed. It’s (dare I say) a perfect meal in a roll.

I actually used to make this all the time in college. I would wake up early on a Saturday morning, assemble my fillings and start rolling. I timed myself once and I could make about 10-12 rolls from beginning to end in 1 1/2 hours. Less, if someone was helping me roll. It was breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the rest of the weekend.

Kimbap is very adaptable in that you can essentially fill it with almost anything, but the combination should be pleasing awesome in texture and flavor. I’ve made rolls for my kids’ school lunch sometimes including hot dogs that have been sliced lengthwise or leftover roast chicken and sauteed greens. My most favorite combination includes bulgogi (Korean grilled beef), egg, seasoned carrots, and seasoned spinach.It’s a great color, flavor, and texture combination. A homerun!

 Some tips:

  • For best results, use a bamboo rolling mat like this one. Whole Foods also sells them.
  • Use a sharp knife when cutting the rolls.
  • Before slicing each roll, wet the blade with a few drops of water. This will prevent the rice from sticking to the blade ensuring clean pieces.
  • The fillings below can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator until ready to use.
  • If you’re planning to pack some for a picnic or a road trip, wrap the stacked pieces in a food storage container with a tight-fitting lid. Make sure that it is packed snugly so there is little room for movement and air. It just keeps rice from drying out and the kimbap in place.

Kimbap

Yields 10-12 rolls or about 100 pieces

About 8 cups of cooked medium-grain rice (Nishiki is my favorite)
1/8 cup rice vinegar
1/8 cup mirin (rice wine generally used for cooking)
1-2 medium carrots, julienned
2 eggs, beaten
5 oz. package of baby spinach

About 5 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds

1 lb. ground turkey (It’s what I had in the freezer! You can substitute sirloin or chicken.)
10-12 gheem a.k.a. roasted laver sheets a.k.a. nori sheets. (You can find this at Whole Foods or your local Asian market.)

White vinegar
More soy sauce
More roasted sesame seeds
Salt

Rice

Scoop the cooked rice into a large mixing bowl. Add 1/8 cup rice vinegar, 1/8 cup mirin, and 1/2-1 teaspoon of salt. Mix thoroughly. Cover the bowl with a damp clean paper towel or dish towel. Set aside.

Carrots

Place the carrots in a small bowl. Add 1/4 -1/2 cup of white vinegar and a pinch of salt. Mix. Set aside. Periodically toss the carrots in the vinegar until ready to use.

Egg

Add a pinch of salt to the beaten eggs. Heat a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add a couple teaspoons of cooking oil to the pan. Add eggs and swirl the skillet around to completely coat the bottom with the egg mixture. Let cook for about 1 minute. Loosen the edges and carefully flip the egg. Cook for about 30 seconds. Slide the egg onto a cutting board. Slice 1/4″ wide ribbons. Set aside on a plate.

Seasoned Spinach or sigumchi namul

In a medium-size pot, bring a couple of quarts of water to a boil. Add a splash of white vinegar. Blanch the spinach just until they start to wilt. Remove the spinach , rinse it in cold water, and drain until cooled. Take handfuls and squeeze out as much liquid as you can.

In a small bowl, add spinach, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon of sesame seeds, and a pinch of salt. Mix until spinach is thoroughly coated. Set aside.

Meat/Protein

If you’re using beef or chicken, thinly slice the meat into strips.

Wipe the skillet that you used for the eggs. Heat the pan over medium-high heat. Add a couple of tablespoons of cooking oil. Add the ground turkey. Using a wooden spoon, break up the ground meat and brown the meat. Once the meat is cooked, pour out excess liquid and add about 2-3 tablespoons of soy sauce. Add a pinch of salt and black pepper. Cook until soy sauce is mostly evaporated. Set aside in a bowl.

You are now ready to rock and roll.

Kimbap rolling station

Rolling the kimbap

Here’s a video on how to roll kimbap. It’s so much easier to demonstrate than trying to explain it in writing!

1 – Lay the laver/seaweed sheet on a bamboo rolling mat.

2 – Spread a thin layer of rice on the seaweed sheet, covering about two-thirds of the sheet.

3 – Sprinkle some sesame seeds….not too much.

4 – Neatly lay your filling towards the bottom edge (the edge closer to you).

5 – Hold the bottom edge of the sheet together with the bamboo mat and tuck the edge into the rice.

6 – Release the mat, but keep rolling the kimbap. Give the roll an occasional squeeze as you’re rolling.

7 – Release and voilà!

8 – Moisten your sharp knife with a few drops of water. Cut the ends, and start slicing about 1/2″ slices. I like to cut the roll in half, and then quarters, and so on.

9 – To make a very simple dipping sauce, mix 2 parts soy sauce to 1 part white vinegar. Enjoy!

You can participate by joining us on Twitter all day today, and at 3:00 p.m. EST for our weekly #SundaySupper Twitter chat! All you have to do is follow the #SundaySupper hashtag, or you can follow us through TweetChat! We’ll be sharing great recipes and tips all afternoon, and we’ll be talking all things #BeatTheHeat during our chat! Here are the other participants and their recipes:

#BeatTheHeat Appetizers:

#BeatTheHeat Salads, Soups, & Sides:

#BeatTheHeat Main Dishes:

#BeatTheHeat Desserts:

#BeatTheHeat Drinks & Cocktails:

Wine Pairings Provided By: ENOFYLZ

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