Guide to Making Kimbap

Prep Time: 20m | Cook Time: 20m | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 cup short grain rice
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• Pinch of salt
• Firm tofu
• Danmuji (Korean pickled radish)
• Pickled Burdock (from Korean supermarket), optional
• Carrot
• 1 bunch Spinach
• Cucumber
• Avocado
• Nori Sheets
• Perilla leaves
• Sesame Oil
• Roasted Sesame

Instructions

THE THINGS YOU MUST COOK TO MAKE KIMBAP: CARROT, SPINACH, TOFU, AND RICE OF COURSE!

CARROT must cut into matchsticks/julienned - sautée in a little oil and season with salt and cook til a little soft. If you don't cook carrot it's not kimbap! And don't grate the carrot - that's too thin.

SPINACH must be cooked. Wash, remove the roots and blanch it in some boiling hot water for 1-2 minutes (pour boiling water over the spinach and let sit). Rinse with cold water and squeeze out as much water as humanly possible! Give the spinach a very rough chop and mix in 1-2 tsp sesame oil and some salt. If you don't cook and season your spinach it's not kimbap!

TOFU - cut into 1cm thick sticks and pan fry on all sides until golden brown. Turn the heat off and drizzle a 1 tbsp soy sauce all over tofu, toss a little and then set aside.

RICE - cook according to packet instructions. As soon as it's done turn transfer to a bowl and let sit for 10 minutes covered with a tea towel. Drizzle 1-2 tsp sesame oil and a good pinch of salt, mix well with a wet rice paddle or a wet wooden spoon - be careful not to mush the rice. Then let set until still slightly warm, but cool enough to handle. If you work with it while it's too hot and it will be too sticky and steamy and will rip your seaweed.

Assembly. HAVE A BOWL OF WATER NEAR BY TO WET YOUR HANDS SLIGHTLY this prevents rice sticking to your hands, but too much water will make the seaweed soggy so you mainly only want to wet your hands when you will be handling the rice.

Place 1 sheet nori shiny side down. Use wet hands to place rice on lower 2/3-3/4 of the nori sheet. Take your time and use your fingertips to disperse the rice in a thin layer - it does not need to be perfectly flat and the rice shouldn't be a thick layer, but aim for even distribution and coverage.

Place your fillings in a line across the middle (see video) and take your time rolling the kimbap over to seal - this first roll is most important. Then finish rolling and let rest seam side down.

Repeat until you have used all your rice. Brush with sesame oil and sprinkle on roasted sesame seeds and let rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.