Kimbap

Ingredients

Cooked Rice465 gm

Table Salt0.5 tsp

Sesame Oil3 tsp

Cucumber¼th

Sea Saltlittle

Eggs (optional)2

Carrot (thinly sliced)70 gm

Baby Spinach50 gm

Danmooji/Pickled

Mooli (thinly sliced)40 gm

Seaweed 3 sheets

Preparation

Add table salt and little sesame oil to the cooked rice and mix them thoroughly. It is important to mix them with a rice paddle or wooden spoon for a minute to separate the rice grains, making it easier to spread over the seaweed. Cover the rice with cling film and leave it to cool.

Deseed and julienne the cucumber. Sprinkle a pinch of sea salt, mix them and leave to marinate. Put the eggs and a pinch of sea salt in a bowl and beat the eggs with chopsticks or a whisk. Heat a frying pan with little vegetable oil over medium heat, pour the egg mixture to make an omelette. When almost cooked through, fold the omelette in half. Take it out of the pan to leave it cool. When cool, chop the omelette into thin slices. Heat the frying pan again over medium heat with a little vegetable oil and add the chopped carrots and a pinch of sea salt. Stir fry them until the carrots are cooked. Use the same process to fry the spinach. Stir fry them until the spinach is cooked. It takes only 1 minute or so. Put all the kimbap ingredients on a plate. Add julienne Danmooji (pickled mooli) as well. Put a rolling matt on a chopping board, put a sheet of seaweed on it and spread a thin layer of rice evenly over the seaweed. Leave a bit of space around the edges. Lay the strips of vegetables and omelette over half of the rice and roll up tight into a cigar shape. Dip your finger into little water and wet the edge of the seaweed to make it stick together. Repeat to make two more rolls. Brush the outside of kimbap rolls with a little sesame oil. Brush a sharp knife with the sesame oil or a little water and carefully slice the kimbap into 2cm thick circles.

(Courtesy: Chef Lee Hyun-Joo, 2018 Hansik Contest, Korean Cultural Centre, IHM Pusa)