Servings
Font
Back
5.0 from 24 votes

Kimbap (Korean Seaweed Rice Roll)

Kimbap (or Gimbap) is a traditional Korean seaweed rice roll made with rice, vegetables, and your choice of meat. This classic recipe offers a simple way to enjoy this flavorful Korean dish, perfect for quick meals or outdoor gatherings.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Additional Time
40 mins
Total Time
1 hr 30 mins
Servings: 6
Calories: 370 kcal
Course: Lunch
Cuisine: Korean

Ingredients

  • 9 seaweed sheets (gim)
For the rice
  • 2 cups (480 ml, about 450 g) uncooked short grain white rice
  • 2 1/2 cups (600 ml) water
  • 2 tbsp Korean plum extract (maeshil cheong)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
For the filling ingredients
  • 6 trips pickled radish (danmuji), 1/2 inch thick drained
  • 6-12 trips braised burdock root (Oeong) drained
  • 6 trips imitation crab meat
  • 2 tbsp oil divided
  • 10 oz (283 g) package shredded carrot
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 4 eggs beaten
For the fishcake
  • 3 heets flat fish cake sliced thinly
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp sweet rice wine (mirim)
  • 1 tbsp corn syrup
For the spinach
  • 1 bunch (12 oz, 340 g) spinach
  • 2 pinches salt
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • dashes toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. For the rice: Rinse rice several times and drain. Soak rice in 2 1/2 cup water for 10 minutes. Cook rice until soft. Put hot rice in a large mixing bowl, add plum extract and salt; toss well. Cover rice with a kitchen towel and set aside to cool.
  2. For the egg: Beat eggs and cook in a skillet in 3 batches. Roll them up and slice thinly
  3. For the carrot: cook shredded carrot in a little oil over medium high heat with some salt. Add 2 tbsp of water to create a steam and cover with a lid. Cook for 2 minutes until crisp but tender.
  4. For the fishcake: slice fishcake sheets thinly and stir-fry in a little oil for 1 minute over medium high heat. Mix together soy sauce, sugar, and rice wine in a bowl, and add the mixture to the fishcake. Continue to stir-fry for another minute.
  5. For the spinach: blanch spinach in a pot of boiling water with some salt. Drain and rinse with cold water. Squeeze out the excess water. Place the spianch in a mixing bowl and season with salt, sesame oil, and sesame seeds. Toss well.
To assemble Kimbap
  1. Cut 3 sheets of seaweed in half and set aside.
  2. Place a full sheet of seaweed, shiny side down, longer side toward you, on a bamboo rolling mat. Spread about 1 cup of rice (1/6 amount) evenly on the seaweed leaving 1 inch of space at the end. Lay a half seaweed sheet in the middle of rice.
  3. Put filling ingredients on top of the half seaweed sheet in a contrasting color pattern.
  4. Lift the entire end of mat from your side with both hands, roll over to cover the fillings, tucking in the filling with your fingers. Put firm pressure on the roll and continue to roll again as you roll away the mat until it reaches to the end.
  5. Place the finished kimbap on a platter, seam side down, while you are making another. Cut kimbap into 1/2 inch thick slices with a sharp knife.

Notes

  • If you want to season rice with sesame oil, toss rice with 1 tbsp sesame oil and 1/2 tsp salt.
  • If you want to season rice with vinegar mixture; whisk together 4 tbsp rice vinegar, 2 tbsp sugar, 1/2 salt in a small mixing bowl. Microwave for 1 minute until sugar dissolves. Pour into rice and toss well.

Nutrition Information

Calories 370kcal (19%) Carbohydrates 62g (21%) Protein 11g (22%) Fat 9g (14%) Saturated Fat 2g (10%) Polyunsaturated Fat 2g Monounsaturated Fat 4g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 109mg (36%) Sodium 650mg (27%) Potassium 606mg (17%) Fiber 3g (12%) Sugar 7g (14%) Vitamin A 13561IU (271%) Vitamin C 20mg (22%) Calcium 113mg (11%) Iron 3mg (17%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 370

% Daily Value*

Calories 370kcal 19%
Carbohydrates 62g 21%
Protein 11g 22%
Fat 9g 14%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g 12%
Monounsaturated Fat 4g 20%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 109mg 36%
Sodium 650mg 27%
Potassium 606mg 13%
Fiber 3g 12%
Sugar 7g 14%
Vitamin A 13561IU 271%
Vitamin C 20mg 22%
Calcium 113mg 11%
Iron 3mg 17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.