Bulgogi Kimbap (불고기김밥)

• servings: 5-6 (7 rolls)
• active time: 30 minutes
• total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

500 g cooked beef bulgogi (use whatever recipe you want, leftovers are great)

5.5 cups steamed short grain rice, cooled to room temp

7 dried seaweed sheets (nori or ones labeled specifically for kimbap are good)

7 strips yellow radish pickle (danmuji)

14 strips seasoned burdock root (Korean markets will usually sell a pack that contains the burdock and yellow radish in one pack)

1 medium carrot, julienned

1 cucumber, seeds removed and julienned (English or Lebanese is best)

14 g perilla leaves, stems removed (sub a bit of thai basil if you can’t find)

2 tbsp toasted sesame oil

Toasted sesame seeds for garnish (option)

Directions

Prep all the ingredients. The rolling process is really streamlined if you have everything prepared. Everything should be cold or around room temperature.

Season your rice with a little under 1 tbsp each of salt and toasted sesame oil, mixing until well combined.

The best way to understand the rolling process is to watch a quick video demonstration, but the overall steps are written out as follows:

Place one seaweed sheet on a bamboo sushi mat, and thinly spread some rice on the seaweed sheet, leaving about a 1 cm row on the far end cleared. This end will be used to seal the roll.

Place the prepared ingredients on top of the rice in the lower center closer to you in order of perilla leaves, bulgogi, yellow radish pickles, burdock root, cucumber, then carrots. Try not to overfill, but don’t stress because you’ll get a feel for it as you work with the rolls.

Once all the ingredients are set, lift the bottom end of the sushi mat to cover the ingredients. Roll the seaweed up to the top so all you’re left with is the uncovered 1 cm gap. Give the now fully wrapped ingredients a gentle squeeze to ensure everything is contained.

Dip a finger in some water, then run it along the open section of seaweed. Once it’s sufficiently wet, finish rolling the entire roll out. The wet band of seaweed should seal the roll fairly well, but you may need to apply some pressure to make sure it’s all sealed. Use the whole sushi mat to make the shape more cylindrical if needed.

Brush some toasted sesame oil onto the outside of the seaweed, then set aside and repeat the process for however many rolls you’re making.

To serve, cut the kimbap into bite-sized pieces with a sharp knife and serve cold or at room temperature soon after making (the rice will dry out overnight in the fridge). Top each piece with optional sesame seeds and enjoy.

Notes

A Korean savory rice roll, similar in form factor to sushi (kimbap’s literal translation is “seaweed rice”). The history of this dish is somewhat murky, some pinning the origin back to the late 1300’s under the Joseon era, and some attribute it to the 1910-1945 Japanese occupation of the Korean peninsula. Either way, this is a satisfying dish that sushi lovers will find familiar but tasty in its own way. The main differences between kimbap and sushi are that kimbap rice is not usually seasoned with vinegar, but just salt and sesame oil, and the fillings options are much more varied, often including things like beef or egg. In addition, the kimbap fillings are all seasoned individually, so the final roll isn’t supposed to be dipped in soy sauce or anything. Kimbap is incredibly popular in South Korea as a common takeaway food. This particular recipe uses beef bulgogi, Korean BBQ beef, along with other typical accompanying fillings to create flavor and texture contrast