Mom’s Super Simple Homemade Gimbap
Mom’s Super Simple Homemade Gimbap
Kitchen Clean-Out Gimbap Recipe | Perfect for Kids’ Summer Break, Hearty Home Meal, Easy Lunchbox Idea
Introducing a magical homemade gimbap recipe that earned a ‘thumbs up’ from our three children! Made with ingredients found in the fridge, it tastes just like the ones from a professional shop. Roll up crunchy pickled radish, crisp lettuce, and creamy tuna mayo with rice, and you’ll have a perfect special treat for the kids’ summer vacation or a satisfying meal anytime. My secret touch of using perilla oil instead of sesame oil (since we ran out!) adds an extra layer of nutty flavor and aroma. Try this simple yet nutritious homemade gimbap to capture your children’s taste buds!
Main Ingredients- 3 cups cooked rice
- 1/2 pack crunchy pickled radish (or store-bought gimbap radish)
- 4 lettuce leaves
- 1 can tuna
- 5 sheets of gimbap seaweed
Seasoning & Extras- Mayonnaise, to taste
- Salt, to taste
- Sesame seeds, to taste
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil (or perilla oil)
- Mayonnaise, to taste
- Salt, to taste
- Sesame seeds, to taste
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil (or perilla oil)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, prepare the vegetables for your gimbap. Wash the lettuce leaves thoroughly under running water and pat them completely dry with paper towels. Have your crunchy pickled radish ready, or use store-bought gimbap radish. Drain most of the oil from the tuna can. Have the mayonnaise ready as well.
Step 2
Place 3 cups of warm cooked rice into a mixing bowl. Season the rice gradually with salt to your preference. Drizzle in 1 tablespoon of sesame oil for a nutty aroma. (If you don’t have sesame oil, perilla oil works wonderfully too!). Finally, sprinkle in sesame seeds and gently mix everything together until the seasoning is evenly distributed. Be careful not to mash the rice grains; a gentle mix is key.
Step 3
Prepare your gimbap seaweed sheets. Place the shiny side down on your rolling mat.
Step 4
Lay a sheet of gimbap seaweed on the bamboo rolling mat. Spread the seasoned rice thinly and evenly over the seaweed, leaving a small border at the top. Be careful not to overfill with rice, as it can cause the roll to burst. Once the rice is spread, layer the prepared lettuce leaves, followed by the pickled radish, drained tuna, and a drizzle of mayonnaise. Don’t overstuff with fillings, or it will be difficult to roll.
Step 5
Now it’s time to roll the gimbap. Starting from the edge closest to you, use the bamboo mat to roll the seaweed tightly. Lift the mat as you roll to ensure a firm and even roll. Once rolled, you can use the mat to shape the gimbap further. Make sure the end of the seaweed is sealed to prevent it from unraveling.
Step 6
Voila! Your delicious homemade gimbap is ready. The kids took one bite and exclaimed, ‘It’s so delicious!’ We didn’t have eggs, so I made it without them, but I was surprised at how tasty it turned out using just the ingredients we had on hand. You can make such wonderful flavors with simple ingredients.
Step 7
For the second roll, I tried piping the mayonnaise slightly further inward from the pickled radish. When I put the mayonnaise too close to the edge on the first roll, it tended to ooze out when slicing. Piping it slightly more inward helps keep the slices neat. Give this tip a try!
Step 8
The second roll of gimbap turned out great too. As you get the hang of it, your gimbap will become even more polished.
Step 9
Using 3 cups of rice yielded 5 rolls of gimbap. This amount can vary depending on your ingredients, but it makes for a generous serving.
Step 10
Use up the remaining ingredients and roll the gimbap with care. Make sure to use every last bit!
Step 11
The fourth roll of gimbap is also beautifully made. My mouth is watering already!
Step 12
Almost all the tuna has been used, with just a little left. Spread the remaining rice on the seaweed, then add the lettuce leaves. Arrange the crunchy pickled radish on top.
Step 13
Scrape out the last bits of tuna and add it all. We’re using every last bit!
Step 14
Pipe the mayonnaise slightly inward, as mentioned in the tip. This prevents the mayonnaise from squeezing out when you slice the gimbap, ensuring a clean presentation.
Step 15
Now, roll the final gimbap tightly. Make sure to roll it carefully so that the fillings don’t spill out.
Step 16
Slice the gimbap into bite-sized pieces. We made 5 rolls in total from 3 cups of rice. It’s wonderful to be able to enjoy such a generous amount of gimbap at home. ^^
Step 17
The children started singing, ‘Mom, please make ramen too!’ insisting that ramen is the perfect accompaniment to gimbap. So, we’re making some ramen to go with it.
Step 18
Plating the gimbap and ramen in nice bowls makes them look even more appetizing. Everything is ready for us to enjoy together!
Step 19
Finally, the young radish kimchi (yeolmu kimchi) we made last week is perfectly fermented. Eating this kimchi alongside the gimbap and ramen was absolutely delicious. A meal of gimbap and ramen with fresh, crisp kimchi is truly the ultimate combination.
