Kimbap – Maki Clack

kimbap

I always have the best time when my dear friend S. cooks Korean food. I peek over her shoulder constantly, because the flavors and ingredients are so unfamiliar… and delicious! So when S. suggested we make kimbap for dinner one night, I readily agreed, even though I had no idea what it was.

It turns out that kimbap is like Korean sushi. It features the nori and sushi rice that our Debbie loves so well, but the fillings are typically cooked, not raw. We made two kinds of fillings for our kimbap: spicy shrimp and kimchi and canned tuna and kimchi. S. says her mom also makes kimbap with ground beef cooked with vegetables.

There are recipes all over the web for different types of kimbap. This recipe features frozen spinach and pickled radish, this recipe uses eggs and imitation crab, and this one has beef, fish cake and even lox and cream cheese! Don’t miss this site, which features a video on how to make kimbap with an awesome soundtrack.

But back to our shrimp and tuna kimbap. They weren’t the prettiest ever, but they were so very tasty. The kimchi added a bit of spiciness and complemented the shrimp and the seafood perfectly. The end result was light and flavorful. The only thing we were missing was cold beer to wash them down!

Kimbap with Spicy Shrimp and Tuna

Makes two rolls.

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups short-grained rice (dry), cooked per instructions
~1-1/2 tablespoons sugar
~1/4 cup rice vinegar
~1/2 cup kimchi with liquid squeezed out, chopped
4 medium shrimp, cooked (per roll)
sriracha
1 4-ounce can of tuna (in oil or water), drained (per roll)
nori wrappers

Directions:

Prepare sushi rice: Mix together rice, sugar and rice vinegar in a bowl, adding sugar and rice vinegar slowly to taste. Rice will be sticky and slightly sweet.
Prepare shrimp filling: Finely chop cooked shrimp and add enough sriracha to coat.
Roll kimbap:
- Place nori wrapper on a bamboo roller or flat surface.
- Spread a thin layer of rice over entire wrapper.
- Add a thin layer of kimchee and shrimp or tuna.
- Roll tightly.
- Carefully slice roll into six to eight pieces.