Hearty and Delicious Tonkatsu Kimbap Recipe
Make Satisfying Tonkatsu Kimbap that Fills You Up with Just One Roll!
This Tonkatsu Kimbap is so satisfying, even one roll will fill you up! Kids will love it because it’s made with tonkatsu. Perfect for a hearty meal or a fun snack!
Kimbap Ingredients
- 4 sheets of Kimbap seaweed
- 4 strips of fish cake
- 2 strips of crab sticks (kani kama)
- 4 slices of ham
- 4 sheets of dried seaweed for kimbap
- Generous amount of seasoned burdock root
- 2 bowls of cooked rice
- 3 pieces of Tonkatsu (Japanese pork cutlet)
- 3 eggs
- Tonkatsu sauce
- 8 perilla leaves
Crunchy Vegetable Salad
- A little bit of carrot
- 1/2 cucumber
- 1 handful of shredded cabbage
- Generous amount of mayonnaise
- A little bit of carrot
- 1/2 cucumber
- 1 handful of shredded cabbage
- Generous amount of mayonnaise
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, fry the tonkatsu until golden brown and crispy. Let it cool slightly, then slice it lengthwise into strips suitable for kimbap. This will help maintain its crispiness.
Step 2
Thinly shred the cabbage and place it in a colander to drain excess water. This prevents the kimbap from becoming soggy. Julienne the cucumber and carrot as well. Lightly salt the julienned cucumber and let it sit for about 10 minutes, then squeeze out any excess water. This process, osmosis, will draw out moisture, making the cucumber even crisper.
Step 3
In a mixing bowl, crack the eggs and remove the chalazae (the white, stringy bits). Whisk them well. Heat a non-stick pan over low heat, lightly grease it with oil, and pour in the egg mixture to make a thick omelet. Once cooked, cut the omelet into strips.
Step 4
Lightly pan-fry the fish cake, crab sticks, and ham on both sides until slightly golden. Cut them into lengths that fit your kimbap. For the fish cake and ham, you can cut them to match the width of the kimbap sheet. Cut the crab sticks in half lengthwise.
Step 5
Combine the drained shredded cabbage, julienned carrot, and squeezed cucumber in a bowl. Add a generous amount of mayonnaise and gently mix everything together to create a crunchy vegetable salad. This will add freshness and texture.
Step 6
For the kimbap rice, season the warm cooked rice with a pinch of salt, a good drizzle of sesame oil, and sesame seeds. Gently mix with a rice paddle to ensure the seasoning is evenly distributed without mashing the rice grains.
Step 7
Place a sheet of kimbap seaweed on a bamboo rolling mat. Spread the seasoned rice evenly over about two-thirds of the seaweed sheet. Layer two perilla leaves on top of the rice for an aromatic touch. Then, add a generous portion of the mayonnaise-mixed vegetable salad over the perilla leaves.
Step 8
Arrange two strips of the prepared tonkatsu on top of the vegetable salad. Drizzle a little tonkatsu sauce over the tonkatsu for extra flavor. Then, carefully layer the remaining kimbap fillings, such as crab sticks, ham, fish cake, pickled radish, and burdock root, on top.
Step 9
Using the bamboo mat, firmly roll the kimbap, pressing gently to ensure it’s tightly packed and holds its shape. You can moisten the edge of the seaweed with a little water or a few grains of rice to seal it. Slice the kimbap into bite-sized pieces. Your hearty Tonkatsu Kimbap is now complete!
