Easy Kimbap Recipe

If you've never had kimbap before, then you are in for a serious treat. It's an incredibly tasty dish you can make yourself in about an hour's worth of time. But before we get cooking, let's get educated. So, what is kimbap? First thing to be very clear on: It's not to be confused with sushi. While at first glance, you may think it looks like sushi, these foods are quite different from one another.

"The literal translation of kimbap is [dried roasted seaweed rice]," explains recipe developer Cecilia Ryu. "'Kim' means dried roasted seaweed and 'bap' means rice. It is one of the most popular and loved foods in Korea. Essentially, you can put anything inside the kimbap, [including] different types of meat, sausage, or tuna and any vegetables you have on hand. Some people even like to put cheese in their kimbap! I'd like to say it is equivalent to a 'sandwich.' Sandwich varieties are endless just like kimbap. Also, because kimbap is very convenient and easily portable food, it is often taken as a packed meal to picnics or for lunch, another similarity to sandwiches. It's one of Korea's soul foods."

It doesn't hurt that this Korean soul food also looks amazing when served on a platter, either. So, let's get cooking and impress those taste buds of yours and all of your guests'.

As previously noted, there are a lot of options when it comes to the ingredients you can use in kimbap, but for your first pass at the dish, Ryu's recipe is an incredible one to follow. So, stick to it as closely as you can, which may include a trip to a speciality Korean market.

You'll need cooked white rice, spinach, sesame oil, salt, canola oil, carrots (peeled and julienned), eggs (beaten), Spam, strips of pickled radish (aka danmuji), strips of imitation crabmeat (optional, but recommended), nori sheets (seaweed sheets, e.g.), and roasted sesame seeds for garnish.

First things first: Cook the rice as per the package's directions, noting you need 4 cups of cooked rice. Season the warm cooked white rice with 1 tablespoon of sesame oil and ¾ teaspoon of salt, then set it aside to cool.

Fill a pot halfway with water, and bring it to a boil. Meanwhile, prepare an ice bath in a large bowl. Blanch the spinach in the boiling water for approximately 30 seconds, then immediately transfer it to the ice bath. Once it has cooled, squeeze out the excess water and place the spinach in a small bowl. Then, season it with 2 teaspoons of sesame oil and ¼ teaspoon of salt before setting it aside.

Warm 1 teaspoon of canola oil in a skillet set over medium-high heat. Then, add the julienned carrots, and sauté until they have softened, which will happen fast. Season the carrots with ¼ teaspoon of salt, then set them aside on a plate.

Wipe the skillet clean with a paper towel, and add 2 teaspoons of canola oil. Heat the oil over medium-high heat, and meanwhile season the 5 beaten eggs with ¼ teaspoon of salt. Then, add the eggs to the skillet, and cook. Once the bottom of the eggs are set, carefully flip them over with a spatula to cook the other side, then transfer the egg to a cutting board and cut it into ½-inch strips.

In the same skillet, add 1 teaspoon of canola oil and fry the Spam until it has lightly browned on each side, which will take approximately 5 minutes. Next, cut each piece of Spam lengthwise into ½-inch strips. You should have at least 12 pieces, and then you can set them aside.

Arrange all of your prepared ingredients on a plate — including crabmeat if you are using it — for easy access. Then, on a cutting board or other flat, dry surface, lay a piece of nori, shiny side down. Prepare a small bowl of water, and wet your fingers with water to prevent the rice from sticking to your skin. After that, spread approximately ¾ cup of rice across the bottom ⅔ of the nori in an even, thin layer.

Next, lay the prepared ingredients on top of the rice horizontally in rows. Using both hands, carefully lift the bottom of the nori and roll it over. Apply pressure firmly and evenly after rolling, and use your fingers to tuck ingredients in as you keep rolling.

Continue to roll again until only a small portion of the nori is remaining. Using your fingers, spread a small amount of water on the remaining seaweed, and roll it again to close the kimbap.

Repeat the process with the remaining nori and ingredients until you have 6 rolls. Then, using a brush, spread a thin layer of sesame oil over each roll. Cut each roll into ½-inch pieces, garnish the kimbap with roasted sesame seeds, and enjoy!