rolling, rolling, rolling

recently a colleague mentioned how their children would trade their desserts for kim bap. he also used to love school picnics because the korean parents brought kimbap. he would take a few and wrap it up in a napkin to enjoy later.

this story prompted me to give them a lesson on how to make kimbap. i, too, miss kimbap. while living in los angeles, i could just drive to the korean grocery store and pick up a pack of kimbap. sadly, i no longer have that luxury. if i want kimbap, i have to make it.

i was able to find most of the ingredients in the local supermarket except for the danmuji (also known as dak kwang which is pickled radish). i had to purchase that from the korean grocery store.

since i had never learned how to make kimbap, i googled a few sites and found recipes from maangchi and aeri's kitchen who both do a good job of presenting how to prepare each item. so i've tailored their recipes to make about 5 kimbap rolls which will make about 2-3 servings.

Kimbap

Ingredients:

• 3-4 cups cooked rice (made from 2 cups of uncooked sushi rice)
• rice vinegar
• toasted sesame seeds
  
• laver or nori seaweed (“kim”) – 5 sheets
• yellow radish pickle (“danmu ji”) – found out Korean grocery shop
• 2 carrots – julienne
• 2 eggs
• imitation crabmeat (if available but not necessary)
  
• large bag of spinach (200g)
• soy sauce, garlic, sesame oil and seeds, and a green onion

For Beef filling

• 1/2 cup (100 grams of mince beef
• 1 green onion, chopped finely
• 1/2 tbsp garlic minced
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• black pepper
  

Preparing the beef filling

1. In a bowl combine all the ingredients for beef filling. Mix well. Set aside to marinade.
   

Preparing the rice.

1. Prepare about 3-4 cups of cooked rice in a large bowl
2. Make your mixing sauce by mixing up ½ tbs sugar, 1 ts salt, 1 tbsp of toasted sesame seeds and 1 tbs of rice vinegar until the liquid looks clear
3. Mix rice with the mixing sauce and stir it evenly. Set it aside for now.

Preparing all the ingredients for kimbap

1. Slice yellow radish into 1cm strips.
2. Slice crabmeat into 1cm strips.
3. Fry the meat in a pan until fully cooked. Strain out the liquid.
4. In a pan, fry the carrots with a pinch of salt.
5. Preparing egg.
1. Scramble 2 eggs in a bowl with a pinch of salt.
2. Fry into one sheet.
3. Remove from pan and cut into 1cm strips.
6. Preparing Spinach
1. Blanch spinach in boiling water for 30 seconds.
2. Remove from water and rinse in cold water.
3. Squeeze excess water from spinach and place in a bowl.
4. Add 1 tsp of sesame oil and a pinch of salt.
5. Mix together.
6. Set aside.

Let’s roll Kimbap!

1. Place a sheet of seaweed(“kim”) on the bamboo mat and evenly spread a layer of rice in the center of it.
2. Place 2-3 spoons of beef on top of the layer of rice. Add a yellow radish pickle strip, some spinach, 1 strip of egg, and carrots.
   
3. Roll it up gently using the bamboo mat.
4. Remove the bamboo mat and cut the roll into pieces about 2 cm thick and place it on a plate

*tip: prepare a wet cloth or paper towel to wipe the knife while cutting, it will make it slice easier.