Kimbap (김밥) — Korean Seaweed Rice Rolls

• 500 gcooked short-grain white rice
• 15 mltoasted sesame oil
• 4 gfine sea salt
• 9 gtoasted sesame seeds
• 200 glean beef sirloin (cut into thin matchsticks)
• 30 mlsoy sauce
• 8 ggranulated sugar
• 2 clovegarlic (finely minced)
• 0.5 tspfreshly ground black pepper
• 200 gspinach (trimmed)
• 160 gjulienned carrot
• 15 mlneutral cooking oil
• 3eggs
• 5yellow pickled radish strips (each about 20 cm long)
• 5seasoned burdock root strips (each about 20 cm long)
• 5 sheetroasted gim seaweed sheets (full-size sheets for rolling)

Instructions

1. 1

   Place the hot cooked rice in a wide bowl and sprinkle it with 15 ml sesame oil, 4 g salt, and 9 g sesame seeds. Fold gently with a rice paddle so the grains stay intact, then cover the bowl with a clean towel and let the rice cool until warm but not cold.

2. 2

   Combine the beef with 30 ml soy sauce, 8 g sugar, minced garlic, 5 ml sesame oil, and black pepper. Mix thoroughly and let it marinate for 15 minutes while you prepare the vegetables.

3. 3

   Bring 1.5 l water to a boil and add 10 g salt, then blanch the spinach for 30 seconds. Drain immediately, rinse under cold water, squeeze firmly to remove excess moisture, and season with 5 ml soy sauce and 5 ml sesame oil.

4. 4

   Heat 5 ml neutral oil in a skillet over medium heat and add the julienned carrot with 2 g salt. Stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes until the carrot is flexible but still bright, then transfer it to a plate to cool.

5. 5

   Beat the eggs with 1 g salt until evenly blended. Heat 5 ml neutral oil in the skillet over medium-low heat, cook the egg in a thin sheet, then cool it and slice it into long strips about 1 cm wide.

6. 6

   Wipe the skillet clean, add the remaining 5 ml neutral oil, and cook the marinated beef over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir often until the beef is just cooked through and the marinade has reduced enough to lightly glaze the meat.

7. 7

   Set one gim sheet shiny side down on a bamboo rolling mat with the longer edge facing you. Spread about 100 g seasoned rice over the sheet, leaving a 3 cm bare strip at the far edge so the roll can seal cleanly.

8. 8

   Arrange one strip each of pickled radish and burdock across the rice near the lower third, then add spinach, carrot, egg, and beef in even lines. Keep the fillings compact and parallel because loose or uneven filling makes the finished slices fall apart.

9. 9

   Lift the near edge of the mat and roll firmly over the fillings, pressing forward to form a tight cylinder. Continue rolling to the bare edge, then press the sealed roll gently with the mat to set the shape without crushing the rice.

10. 10

    Repeat with the remaining gim sheets, rice, and fillings to make 5 rolls. Brush the outside of each roll with 5 ml sesame oil in total and sprinkle with 3 g sesame seeds for aroma and shine.

11. 11

    Use a sharp knife lightly wiped with sesame oil or water to cut each roll into 8 even slices. Clean the blade between rolls so the rice and fillings stay neatly defined.