Colorful and Delicious Vegetable Kimbap
Colorful and Delicious Vegetable Kimbap
How to Make Delicious Vegetable Kimbap at Home
A kimbap that’s always delicious! I’ll show you how to roll tasty vegetable kimbap packed with fresh ingredients. Perfect for kids’ snacks or picnic lunches!
Kimbap Filling Ingredients- 3 bunches fresh spinach
- 2 carrots
- 15 strips of ‘Jubu 9dan’ ham (recommended for flavor)
- Pickled radish (danmuji)
- 2 bundles burdock root
- 8 eggs
- 15 strips of thin wheat flour noodles (for fish cake)
- 6 Korean green chili peppers
Cooking Rice and Seasoning- 7 cups rice (for rice cooker)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons salt
- 7 cups rice (for rice cooker)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons salt
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, start cooking the rice for your kimbap. Use 7 cups of rice (rice cooker measurement). Adjust the water to your usual preference for rice texture; add a bit more water for softer rice or less for firmer, fluffier rice. I like to season the rice with salt while it’s cooking, as this makes it easier to assemble the kimbap later with just sesame oil and sesame seeds. To check the saltiness, dip your finger into the cooking water; it should taste slightly salty.
Step 2
Prepare the spinach by blanching and seasoning it. If the spinach is still bundled, you can trim off the root ends without untying it – this makes cleaning much easier. After trimming the roots, submerge the entire bunch into boiling water for about 1 minute, then quickly remove. Rinse the spinach 2-3 times under cold running water, then place it in a colander and squeeze out all excess moisture by hand. In a bowl, mix the spinach with a little sesame oil and salt, and gently toss to combine into a delicious seasoned spinach side dish.
Step 3
Julienne the carrots finely. I prefer to blanch carrots instead of stir-frying them for kimbap. Blanching them in boiling water for about 1 minute retains their fresh, slightly sweet flavor and vibrant color beautifully, making them a perfect kimbap ingredient.
Step 4
Crack 8 eggs into a bowl and whisk them well. Instead of pouring all at once, divide the mixture and cook in two batches to create thick egg crepes. Once cooked, place the egg crepes on a cutting board. Trim off the rounded top and bottom edges, then slice them vertically into strips of uniform width (about 0.7-1 cm). This creates perfectly sized egg garnishes for your kimbap.
Step 5
Ham is a key ingredient that significantly impacts kimbap’s flavor! I recommend using ham with a good amount of meat. ‘Jubu 9dan’ ham is my personal favorite for its taste. Slice the ham into strips matching the width of your pickled radish. You don’t need to add oil to the pan; the ham’s own fat will render and cook it to a beautiful golden brown, ensuring a rich flavor without being greasy.
Step 6
For the fish cake, combine half a paper cup of water and 1 tablespoon of soy sauce in a small pot. Simmer over low heat until the liquid has mostly evaporated, stirring gently. For the pickled radish and burdock root, snip open the packaging and squeeze out any excess liquid thoroughly. This process adds a delicious savory flavor to the fish cake and keeps the other fillings crisp.
Step 7
If you enjoy a bit of spice, prepare the Korean green chili peppers. Slice them in half lengthwise, remove the seeds, and then slice thinly. Now that all your kimbap fillings are ready, arrange them neatly side-by-side so they are easily accessible when you start rolling.
Step 8
Let’s start rolling the kimbap! Place a bamboo rolling mat on your cutting board, then lay a sheet of nori (seaweed) on top. Take a portion of the seasoned rice – about the size of a slightly smaller baseball – and spread it evenly over the nori, leaving a small border at the top edge. Be careful not to use too much rice, as this can cause the kimbap to burst when rolled.
Step 9
Begin layering your fillings on top of the rice. Start with the spinach and carrots, as they are more likely to shift. Then, arrange the ham, egg strips, fish cake, pickled radish, and burdock root neatly on top. Avoid overfilling, as too many ingredients can make rolling difficult and cause the kimbap to split.
Step 10
Now, it’s time to roll! Gently lift the edge of the bamboo mat closest to you, tucking the fillings in as you begin to roll the kimbap forward. Apply gentle pressure to shape the roll tightly. Rolling with the mat helps create a compact kimbap that won’t fall apart when sliced. Once rolled, remove the kimbap from the mat and place it seam-side down. Brush the top with sesame oil for a glossy finish, and sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired.
Step 11
Finally, slice the kimbap into bite-sized pieces. To ensure clean cuts, use a sawing motion with your knife, like using a saw, rather than pressing straight down. This prevents the seaweed from tearing or the kimbap from being squashed. Your delicious vegetable kimbap is ready! Arrange it on a serving plate and enjoy.
