Grandma’s Nostalgic Gimbap
Making Authentic Gimbap with Heartfelt Ingredients
While burdock root is considered the standard for gimbap today, my maternal grandmother used to prepare it without burdock, opting instead for braised burdock and bulgogi, a tradition from her earlier days. This recipe results in moist rice with a perfectly balanced seasoning, creating a truly special gimbap. Enjoy making this comforting dish at home!
Gimbap Ingredients- 1 sheet of Gimbap seaweed (nori)
- 1 carrot
- 400g spinach
- 5 eggs
- 1 pack of burdock root (or braised burdock)
- 1 pack of pickled radish (danmuji)
- 1 can of Spam
- 2/3 bowl of cooked rice
Rice Seasoning- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- Sesame seeds to taste
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- Sesame seeds to taste
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, wash the carrot thoroughly and julienne it into thin strips. Lightly oil a pan and sauté the carrot strips over medium heat. Once the carrots are tender, sprinkle with two pinches of salt for light seasoning.
Step 2
In a bowl, whisk the 5 eggs until well combined. Lightly grease a pan with oil and pour the egg mixture over low heat, cooking slowly. When the egg is almost set, carefully flip it to cook the other side briefly. Allow the cooked egg to cool completely before cutting it into long strips suitable for gimbap. (Cutting it while hot can cause it to break, so it’s crucial to let it cool down.)
Step 3
Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the cleaned spinach and blanch for just about 15 seconds. Immediately rinse the blanched spinach under cold water to cool it down, then squeeze out excess water firmly with your hands. Transfer to a bowl, add 1 tsp of salt and 2 Tbsp of sesame oil, and gently mix to season.
Step 4
Slice the can of Spam into finger-thick pieces. Pan-fry the Spam slices without oil until they are golden brown on both sides. (Traditionally, my grandmother’s original Korean gimbap included seasoned bulgogi beef. You can substitute bulgogi for Spam if you prefer.)
Step 5
We are using store-bought burdock root and pickled radish for convenience. (If you prefer a richer flavor, you can refer to recipe @6927232 to make your own braised burdock.)
Step 6
For one roll of gimbap, about the size of a baseball is a good amount of rice. Mix 1 Tbsp of sesame oil and some sesame seeds into the warm cooked rice. Let the rice cool slightly so it’s not too hot before assembling. Spread the rice thinly on the seaweed sheet, arrange the prepared fillings neatly, and then roll it up tightly to create your delicious gimbap.
