Mini Gimbap (Mayak Gimbap)
User Reviews
4.8
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Servings
2
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Course
Main Course, Appetizer, Others
Mini Gimbap (Mayak Gimbap)
Description
This recipe uses short grain rice cooked with slightly less water than usual to ensure a firm texture suitable for rolling. Spinach is blanched and chilled rapidly to preserve color and texture, then squeezed and lightly chopped before seasoning with sesame oil and salt. Carrots are julienned and stir-fried until softened with a pinch of salt. Pickled radish is cut into slender strips. The soy-based dipping sauce, seasoned with vinegar, mustard, sugar, and salt, adds a bright and slightly spicy note.
The rice is mixed with sesame oil and salt while still hot, then spread thinly over small nori sheets cut into quarters. Toppings are layered inside, and the sheets rolled tightly into bite-sized pieces. These small rolls are convenient for sharing as appetizers or light snacks, combining nutty, salty, and slightly sweet flavors with crisp and tender textures.
The use of quarter nori sheets creates perfectly sized pieces that are manageable in one or two bites. The dipping sauce enhances the mild rice and vegetable flavors, providing depth. This variation of gimbap is commonly enjoyed in Korean cuisine, known for its satisfying yet light profile.
Ingredients
- Makes 16 pieces
- 1-1/2 cups short grain rice standard measuring cup not the cup that comes with a rice cooker, uncooked
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- salt start with ⅓ teaspoon, to taste
- 1 spinach about 6 ounces, small bunch
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- salt to taste, about 1/4 teaspoon
- 1 carrot julienned, large
- 4 yellow pickled radish danmuji strips, pre-cut for gimbap
- 4 seaweed aka nori sheets, called gim in Korea
Sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds finely ground in a spice grinder or mortar bowl
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard or Korean hot mustard, gyeoja
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons sugar
Instructions
- Cook the rice using a little less water than usual. (Fresh cooked rice is best for gimbap.)
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat and prepare an ice bath. Blanch the spinach, place immediately in the ice bath, then squeeze the water out. Run a knife through the squeezed spinach a couple of times. Season with the sesame oil and salt.
- Julienne the carrots. Heat a lightly oiled pan over medium high heat. Stir fry the carrots until slightly softened. Lightly season with a pinch of salt.
- Cut the pickled radish crosswise in half, and then cut lengthwise in half.
- When all the ingredients are ready, remove the rice from the rice cooker. While the rice is still hot, add the sesame oil and salt. Mix well by lightly folding with a rice paddle or spoon until evenly seasoned.
- Cut 4 sheets of gim into quarters.
- Put a quarter sheet of gim, shiny side down and shorter side toward you, on a cutting board. Spread 1 tablespoon to 1-1/2 tablespoons of rice evenly over the gim, leaving a little bit of space on the side away from you. Do this with your fingers. Keep wet towel and wipe your fingers frequently to keep the rice from sticking to your fingers. Lay the prepared ingredients on top of the rice, closer towards you.
- Lift the entire bottom edge with both hands and roll over the filling away from you, tucking in the filling with your fingers.
- Rub or brush the roll with a little bit of sesame oil for extra flavor and a shiny look.
For the sauce
- Finely grind the sesame seeds in a spice grinder or mortar bowl. Mix with the remaining sauce ingredients. Stir well until the sugar is dissolved and the ground sesame seeds are evenly distributed.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.8
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