Adorable Mini Gimbap (Kkoma Gimbap)
Compact Yet Flavorful! Easy and Cute Mini Gimbap Recipe
These mini gimbap are surprisingly delicious even with just 3-4 simple fillings! It’s amazing how satisfying they are with minimal ingredients. Today, I decided to make mini gimbap using ingredients that would typically go into regular gimbap, making them extra special. As their name suggests, these are super cute ‘kkoma’ (mini) gimbap! They are easy to eat and offer a charm different from regular gimbap. Perfect for a meal or as a delightful addition to a picnic lunchbox! They look and taste fantastic! Let’s get started!
Mini Gimbap Ingredients
- Gim (seaweed sheets for gimbap)
- Crab sticks (imitation crab meat), 5 sticks
- Gimbap ham, 1 piece
- Eggs, 4
- Spinach, 1 bunch
- Pickled radish (danmuji)
- Carrots
Rice Seasoning
- Sesame oil, 1 Tbsp
- Salt, a pinch
- Perilla oil, a drizzle
- Toasted sesame seeds, a sprinkle
- Sesame oil, 1 Tbsp
- Salt, a pinch
- Perilla oil, a drizzle
- Toasted sesame seeds, a sprinkle
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
When cooking the rice, adding a piece of dried kelp (dashima) enhances its umami flavor and gives it a nice sheen. Prepare the rice while it’s freshly cooked and warm.
Step 2
Scoop out some cooked rice and let it cool slightly. Be careful, as handling hot rice can cause burns! Once cooled a bit, season the rice with sesame oil and salt for a delicious base.
Step 3
Time to prepare the fillings! You can get a convenient gimbap kit that includes seaweed, ham, crab sticks, and pickled radish. Also, grab one bunch of spinach, one carrot, and take out the eggs from your fridge!
Step 4
Wash the spinach thoroughly. Bring a pot of water to a boil with a pinch of salt, and quickly blanch the spinach. Blanching it briefly helps retain its crisp texture.
Step 5
Squeeze out all the water from the blanched spinach. Then, mix it with a bit of soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang), sesame oil, and toasted sesame seeds. Adjust the seasoning with soup soy sauce for a savory touch.
Step 6
Next, let’s make some beautiful egg crepes! Whisk the 4 eggs well and season lightly with salt. Heat a non-stick pan, pour in the egg mixture all at once, and cook. Flip it like you would a Korean pancake using a wrist flick for a dramatic flair. This step is optional but fun!
Step 7
Once the egg crepes are cooked, roll them up and slice them into thin strips. We’ll be adding just a couple of strips to each mini gimbap, so making them slightly thicker than julienned vegetables is ideal.
Step 8
Prepare the crab sticks and ham. Heat a pan with a very small amount of oil and lightly pan-fry them until they are lightly browned.
Step 9
Sprinkle a little salt on the ham while frying to enhance its savory flavor.
Step 10
Cut the pickled radish (danmuji) into lengths that will fit well inside the mini gimbap.
Step 11
Lightly stir-fry the julienned carrots in a pan with a tiny bit of oil. Stir-frying them briefly helps maintain their vibrant color and a pleasant crunch.
Step 12
Cut the gimbap seaweed sheets into four equal parts. This size is perfect for making mini gimbap and makes rolling much easier.
Step 13
All the preparations are now complete! Everything looks so colorful and appetizing, doesn’t it?
Step 14
Place a piece of cut seaweed on a flat surface. Spread a thin layer of seasoned rice evenly over the seaweed. The key is to keep the rice layer thin so the gimbap doesn’t burst when rolled.
Step 15
Arrange the prepared fillings neatly on top of the rice layer.
Step 16
Carefully and tightly roll the seaweed up, pressing gently as you go. Rolling them snugly will prevent them from unraveling later.
Step 17
Voila! Your delicious mini gimbap are ready. Look how generously filled they are!
Step 18
Now, repeat the process with the remaining ingredients. It’s like a fun repetition exercise!
Step 19
Continue rolling the delicious mini gimbap. Make sure to roll them all up neatly, as I dislike any ingredients going to waste!
Step 20
Keep rolling until all ingredients are used up. I simply cannot stand to have leftovers! It’s a bit of an obsession, really!
Step 21
Finally, brush the rolled mini gimbap with a little aromatic perilla oil and sprinkle generously with toasted sesame seeds. Your tasty and adorable mini gimbap are now complete!
Step 22
These mini gimbap are perfect for my lunchbox the next day!
Step 23
This ‘bunsik’ (Korean snack food) style of mini gimbap is also ideal for picnic lunches. They are pretty, delicious, and easy to eat, so everyone will love them! Why not make some delightful mini gimbap for your loved ones today?
