Cheesy Tuna Spam Gimbap: A Delicious Recipe Even for Beginners
Easy-to-Follow Recipe for Cheesy Tuna Spam Gimbap
This is a Cheesy Tuna Spam Gimbap recipe, perfect for beginners making gimbap for only the second time! It combines the creamy richness of cheese, the savory flavor of tuna, and the salty goodness of spam. Enjoy this special gimbap at home – simple to make and guaranteed to be delicious!
Gimbap Ingredients- 2 bowls cooked rice, warm
- 1 can (150g) tuna, drained
- 1/2 can Spam
- 2 slices processed cheese
- 2 strips pickled radish (danmuji)
- 1/4 cucumber
- 2 eggs
- Mayonnaise, as needed
Rice Seasoning- Pinch of salt
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp cooking wine (mirin) – optional, but recommended for flavor!
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- Pinch of salt
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp cooking wine (mirin) – optional, but recommended for flavor!
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, transfer the warm cooked rice to a large bowl. Season it with salt, sesame oil, cooking wine, and sesame seeds. Gently mix with a spatula, being careful not to mash the rice grains. (The cooking wine helps to remove any unwanted smell from the rice and adds a wonderful depth of flavor, so it’s highly recommended!)
Step 2
In a wide frying pan, whisk the eggs without adding salt and cook thin omelets. Fry until golden brown on both sides. Once cooled, cut them into long, rectangular strips that fit the size of your gimbap roll. (Cooking the egg thinly will prevent it from breaking apart inside the gimbap.)
Step 3
Instead of regular gimbap ham, Spam offers a richer flavor. (Personally, I found Spam to be more delicious in gimbap!) Slice the Spam into long strips, similar to the width of the gimbap, and lightly pan-fry them. Slice the cucumber thinly, sprinkle with a little salt, let it sit for about 5 minutes to draw out moisture, then pat it dry with paper towels. Similarly, pat the pickled radish dry. (Removing excess moisture from the cucumber and radish is crucial to prevent a soggy gimbap.)
Step 4
Now that all your ingredients are ready! Place a sheet of seaweed (gim) on a bamboo rolling mat. Spread about two-thirds of the seasoned rice evenly over the seaweed, leaving a small border at the top. (Be careful not to spread the rice too thick, or the roll might break.) Arrange the prepared Spam, egg strips, pickled radish, and cucumber in a line over the rice. Finally, drizzle mayonnaise in a zig-zag or straight line across the fillings. (Adjust the amount of mayonnaise to your preference.)
Step 5
A pro-tip for gimbap beginners! Use the bamboo mat to tightly roll the gimbap from the bottom up. If you don’t have a mat, or are worried about the roll falling apart, lightly brush your cutting board with sesame oil. Place the rolled gimbap onto the oiled board and gently roll it around. This will evenly coat the gimbap with sesame oil and help prevent the seaweed from tearing when you slice it. (Rolling the gimbap tightly ensures it holds its shape.)
Step 6
Slice the gimbap into bite-sized pieces, and your delicious Cheesy Tuna Spam Gimbap is complete! Don’t worry if the shape isn’t perfectly neat; homemade gimbap always tastes amazing. It’s perfect for a special occasion or a simple meal.
