Kimpap or gimbap is a traditional Korean food which literally means kim for “dried seaweed” and pap means “rice.” It is made with seasoned cooked rice rolled in a dry seaweed sheet. It is commonly stuffed with fillings such as carrots, cucumber, fish cakes, crab meat, and more. In Japan, this dish is called sushi rolls. The main difference is that Japanese rice rolls always have fresh fish meat in the filling. In both countries, this food can be found just about anywhere. The dish has different flavors of meat such as tuna or beef. It can also contain kimchi, spinach, and more. You can buy it in any convenience store, and it is usually served in short order restaurants. The price is about 1 dollar for 1 log.
The only problem you may encounter when making kimpap is finding the right ingredients. Dried seaweed sheets are one of the key ingredients. You can get these sheets in any Asian or Korean store. In the Philippines, they are available in most large grocery stores with a section containing Korean products. You can use just about any type of rice – short, medium long grain are all fine. If you cannot find the exact ingredients for the filling, use whatever you have at home such as ham or spam, carrots, cucumbers, etc. You can also add tuna flakes with mayonnaise to the filling. In this case, it is called Tuna kimbap. You can roll it with or without a bamboo mat, as well. If you want to try Korean cuisine this weekend, make this dish today and bring the taste of Korean food to your kitchen.
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[btn color=”orange” target=””]Ingredients:[/btn]
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 2 sheets kim (dried seaweed) 8 x 8 inches
- salt to taste
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- bamboo mat for rolling
Optional toppings:
- small yellow radish, cut in strips
- artificial crab meat (optional), sliced in strips
- 1 small carrots, cut in strips
- Korean ham or spam, cut in strips
- small cucumber, rinsed and cut in strips with skin
- 2 eggs beaten for making omelet
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- Servings: 3
- Time: 45 minutes
- Level: Moderate
- Cuisine: Korean, Japanese
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Recipe Rating:
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[btn color=”orange” target=””]Cooking Video:[/btn]
[btn color=”orange” target=””]Directions:[/btn]
- Place cooked rice in a bowl, add salt, sesame oil, and sesame seeds. Toss until well combined but do not mash the rice. Set aside.
- Prepare the toppings: Slice ham, radish, carrots, artificial crab meat, into strips.
- Place sliced ham in preheated pan with a little bit of oil and fry for a minute. Repeat procedure for crab meat and carrots.
- Beat eggs in a bowl. Brush non stick pan with cooking oil. Preheat it and fry the eggs until set. Slice in strips.
- Preparation: Place a seaweed sheet (shiny side down) on a bamboo mat. Spread cooked rice out until it’s half an inch from the edges. One cup of rice is enough to make 1 log.
- Put the fillings on the bottom edge. Roll it using a bamboo mat, tight as possible.
- Brush the outer part of kimbap with sesame oil. Slice it about 1/2 inch thick pieces.
- Serve and enjoy.
