Kimbap | Authentic Korean Recipe (2024)

This homemade kimbap tastes like something from a Korean restaurant and is so easy to make. With simple ingredients and easy instructions, it tastes delicious every time!

If you love sushi, then you’ll love Korea’s answer to it: Kimbap or Gimbap.

What is kimbap?

Kimbap, also known as seaweed rice, is a popular Korean rice roll that’s traditionally made with seaweed. It is often mistaken for sushi because it looks similar to sushi. But, the dish has unique flavors and ingredients and is different from sushi.

Why you’ll love this recipe

• Quick and easy. The recipe has simple instructions and will be ready to serve in minutes.
• Budget-friendly. All the ingredients are easily available, cheap, and affordable.
• Healthy. Packed with slow-releasing carbs, vegetables, and protein, it’s well-balanced.

What I love the most about this recipe is that it’s a perfect snack or light lunch. It’s delicious, filling, and satisfying. It’s my go-to meal when I’m in a rush or just wanting something small!

What is a kimbap roll made of?

This recipe calls for very simple ingredients that you’ll likely already have in your pantry. Here is what you’ll need:

Rice

• Short-grained white rice. Rinse and clean well before cooking.
• Water. To cook the rice.
• Rice vinegar.Keeps the rice soft and sticky.
• Agave nectar. Naturally sweetens the rice.
• Sesame oil.
• Mirin. A sweet and umami sauce that takes this dish up a notch.
• Cold-pressed beet juice.Optional, but adds a pop of purple color.
• Nori sheets.Also known as seaweed wraps.

Gochujang sweet potato

• Sweet potato. Boiled and mashed.
• Salt or pepper. To taste.
• Sesame oil. Or any other oil.
• Gochujang. Fermented spicy paste is used for marinades, sauces, etc.
• Water. As required.

Chickpea omelette

• Chickpea flour/Garbanzo bean flour.Sift it carefully to ensure there are no clumps.
• Water. As required.
• Black salt. To taste.

Vegetables

• Baby spinach. Fresh, and stalks removed.
• Carrot. Peeled and cut into pieces.
• Cucumber. Sliced into pieces.
• Salt. To taste.
• Sesame oil. For stir frying vegetables.

How to make them?

Although there are 6 steps to making this recipe, all parts can be made in advance and once everything comes together, it’s very seamless to assemble them. Ready to make some Korean-style sushi?

Step 1: Cook Gochujang sweet potatoes

Preheat oven to 200C and mix diced sweet potatoes, salt, pepper, and sesame oil in a bowl. Toss the bowl to coat the potatoes with spices and then bake for 45 minutes or until they become soft.

Once done, transfer the cooked sweet potatoes to a bowl and toss it with water and Gochujang. Mash the sweet potato slightly and set aside to make it cool.

Step 2: Cook chickpea omelet

Mix chickpea flour, water, and black salt in a bowl and whisk until smooth paste forms. After 10 minutes, fry like a regular omelet in a non-stick fry pan. Once done, cut strips and set aside.

Step 3: Cook the veggies

Add 1 tablespoon of sesame oil to a pan and saute carrots for 2 minutes. Similarly, saute the baby spinach once the carrots are done.

Step 4: Cook the rice

Start by rinsing the brown rice in water until the water becomes clear and then sieve all the water through a drainer for 30 minutes before cooking. In a small bowl, mix together beet juice, rice vinegar, and mirin agave nectar and set aside.

After draining the rice, add them to a saucepan containing 2 cups of water. Boil the mixture and let it simmer after covering it with a lid for at least 35 minutes. Don’t open the lid while cooking. After 35 minutes, turn off the flame, but let the pot cover for 15 minutes.

Step 5: Prepare kimbap rolls

Now, transfer the rice to a bowl and add the vinegar mixture right away. With the help of a paddle, cut and fold the vinegar into the rice while rotating the bowl and blowing air with a small fan into the rice. Keep doing this until the rice becomes sticky and completely cool.

Finally, to assemble the kimbap rolls, place a nori sheet on a bamboo mat, with the shiny side down on the bamboo mat. Wet your hands to cover the nori sheet with cooked rice. Leave 1-inch border on the nori sheet near you without rice and cover that border with prepared fillings and roll in the jelly roll style. Leave the rolls for 5 minutes before cutting them.

Step 6: Serve

Coat kimbap rolls with some sesame oil before cutting them for serving. Always use a sharp knife to make clean and beautiful cuts.

Tips to make the best recipe

• If you don’t want to make rice from scratch, microwave or leftover rice also works.
• While dealing with rice, never forget to wet your hands to avoid the rice sticking to your hands.
• Always use a sharp knife to cut the kimbap rolls. This ensures the clean cutting of the rolls to make them more aesthetically pleasing.

Storage instructions

• To store. You can store kimbap in an airtight container for up to three days in the refrigerator.
• To freeze. Freezing kimbap isn’t recommended as the rice becomes brittle and does not defrost well.

Frequently asked questions