Authentic Korean Kimbap

Even though I was born and raised in the Chicagoland area, I grew up eating TONS of authentic Korean food during my early childhood years. As I got older I broadened my horizons and starting eating everything from other parts of the world and now less likely to eat Korean food. However, very once in a great while I still have a craving for Gimbap. It's a Korean version of Sushi except the filling ingredients are slightly sauteed in a stir fry pan before rolling them up using a bamboo sushi roller.

Korean Gimbap 

4 Nori sheets (Used to make sushi)

2 cups cooked rice

2 tsp salt

2 tsp sesame oil

1-2 peeled carrots, cut into long strips

1 packaged Korean Yellow Radish

1/2 pound to 1 pound fresh spinach 

In a large mixing bowl, mix cooked rice, 2 tsp salt, and 2 tsp sesame oil. Set aside. Cut carrots into long thin strips. Heat skillet with about a teaspoon of vegetable oil and stir fry carrots with a dash of salt for about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from skillet and set aside. Stir fry the spinach with about a teaspoon of oil and a dash of salt until spinach is wilted. 

Place a sheet of Nori on the bamboo mat and evenly spread a layer of rice in the center of it (but not to the edges). Place a thin strip of carrots down the center of the rice (hot dog style), do the same for the spinach, and yellow radish. Roll it up (hot dog style) using the bamboo mat. Once it is rolled, cut into 

1 1/2 inch thick slices. 

**Unfortunately, since this is my mom's recipe, a lot of the ingredients are estimates. She has been making this for the last 20+ years and the ingredient amounts are "eyeball" measurements.