There are many, many delicious combos that can go into Kimbap. It's like making bibimbap- there are no rules! Ingredients can be raw, cooked, fried. Just one ingredient or many. You can make it vegan, vegetarian, all meat.. the possibilities are unlimited! This particular recipe is my mom's Classic Kimbap- she used to make it for us when we were children. Today in Korea- it is usually sold as 'Old Style Kimbap' or 'Basic Kimbap'. Every household or shop has their own version!
Makes 5-7 rolls. Enough for 4-5 people. You need:Short grain rice - 1.5 cupsMinced Beef - 400g Carrot - 1 large Cucumber - 1/3 of 1 large cucumber Eggs- 3 Pickled Daikon/Mooli - 5-7 strips Spinach - 7 cubes of frozen spinach OR fresh spinach Seaweed sheet - 5-7 sheets Sesame oil - 4 tsp Sesame seeds - 4 tsp Water - 1 Tbsp Things you need: Clean space to roll, Rolling mat (if you have it), Big bowl for rice, Plate(s) for ingredients, Small bowl for water to dab across seaweed sheet. What to do: Start by cooking the rice. Whilst it is steaming prepare the other ingredients: Carrots, Spinach, Beef, Eggs, Cucumber and Pickled Radish.
Cucumber: Slice length wise into long strips about 1 cm wide each way the length of the cucumber. Set aside.
Carrots: Peel and cut lengthwise into long strips about 1 cm wide each way. Steam for 10 min or boil for 5-10 min (optional a pinch of salt). The carrots do not have to be very soft just soft enough to make it easy to cut and eat.
Spinach: I used frozen because its just easier and I can use them whenever I want. Steam 6-7 cubes and after removing water by squeezing out excess water with hands. Season with 1/2 tsp sesame oil, 1/2 tsp sesame seeds and a pinch of salt to taste. Mix and set aside in a small bowl. If you are using Fresh Spinach- you can flash boil, remove water and then season. Cucumber: Slice lengthwise into strips similar to the carrots.
Egg Omelette: Break 3 and blend in a small bowl. Heat a bit of oil and once pan is hot, pour in the egg wash. If you cook these in a small pan, the omelette will be thick (this is how my mom made it). Leave until its about 80% cooked through. Then flip and let cook until done. Let cool and then slice into strips about 1-2 cm wide. If you prefer thinner eggs or have a bigger pan-slice the eggs into thinner strips and add more into the kimbap.
Pickled Radish: Cut into long strips about 1-2 cm wide each way (same size as the carrots and cucumbers!) if using a Korean pickeled radish (dan mu ji/da kwang). Other wise use discs of Mu Ssam.
Back to the rice.
Once rice is done, season with sesame seeds and sesame oil. Let cool so it’s warm and easy to work with. Put seaweed sheet with shiny side face down. Scoop about 1/2 cup rice and spread thinly across 3/4 of sheet. Arrange flat ingredients or ingredients that spread (like beef!) across rice first. Then arrange carrots, egg, cucumber, radish and spinach. Dab water across edge furthest from you. Grab tightly and roll making sure that the seaweed roll is closed well. Add a few drops sesame oil to your hands and pat on outside of the roll. Set aside until ready to eat. Cut into 1-2 cm wide pieces. Enjoy!Kimbab tips:- Use only short grain rice. Different types of rice or grains may not be as sticky making your kimbap fall apart easily.- You can make kimbap ahead (or make everything ahead of time and roll later). If you do make them ahead of time, keep kimbab at room temperature for the day. Once it’s in the fridge the rice hardens. - If you have enough leftovers for next day, slice and keep in the fridge. Make sure to cover or put in airtight container so they don't dry out. To have it the next day, dip each kimbab piece in egg wash and fry on pan to enjoy warm. YUM!
