Spicy Tuna and Cheongyang Pepper Kimbap & Kimchi Kimbap
The Perfect Combo: Quick Tuna & Spicy Pepper Kimbap and Aged Kimchi Kimbap
I have a small garden where I grow most of my vegetables until autumn. Among them, perilla leaves seem to sprout up everywhere on their own. Seeing these perilla leaves today reminded me of a delicious kimbap I love to make. Today, I’m going to make two kinds of kimbap at once! One is ‘Tuna and Cheongyang Pepper Kimbap’, and the other is ‘Aged Kimchi Kimbap’.
Ingredients- 1 sheet Gim (seaweed for kimbap)
- 2 bowls of cooked rice (from 2 instant rice packs)
- 2 Tbsp sesame oil
- 2 Tbsp sesame seeds
- 2 Tbsp sesame oil (for seasoned rice)
- 150g canned tuna
- 3 Cheongyang peppers (Korean chili peppers)
- 3 Tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 strips pickled radish (danmuji)
- 2 leaves aged kimchi
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 perilla leaves
- 2 eggs
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Let’s start by preparing the ingredients for the kimbap.
Step 2
Rinse the aged kimchi thoroughly under running water to remove excess salt and sourness.
Step 3
Squeeze out all the water from the kimchi and gently mix it with 1 Tbsp sesame oil, 2 Tbsp sesame seeds, and 1 tsp sugar. This seasoning will bring out the kimchi’s savory and tangy flavors.
Step 4
Remove the stems from the perilla leaves. Finely mince the Cheongyang peppers after removing the seeds to ensure an even distribution of spiciness.
Step 5
Drain the oil completely from the canned tuna. This prevents the kimbap from becoming too greasy. (Using a 150g can.)
Step 6
Add the minced Cheongyang peppers to the drained tuna.
Step 7
Mix in 3 generous tablespoons of mayonnaise. Combine well until the tuna, peppers, and mayonnaise are thoroughly incorporated, creating a creamy and spicy filling.
Step 8
Whisk the eggs and pan-fry them into thin omelets. Once cooled, cut them into strips that fit the length of the kimbap roll.
Step 9
Transfer the 2 bowls of cooked rice to a mixing bowl. Add 2 Tbsp sesame oil and 2 Tbsp sesame seeds and gently mix to season the rice evenly. This will give the rice a fragrant and nutty flavor.
Step 10
All the kimbap ingredients are now ready! We have the seasoned aged kimchi, perilla leaves, egg strips, the tuna and pepper mixture, and pickled radish.
Step 11
For the first kimbap, the Tuna and Cheongyang Pepper Kimbap: Lay a sheet of gim on a bamboo mat. Spread a thin layer of seasoned rice over it. Place a perilla leaf on top, followed by a generous amount of the tuna mixture, egg strips, and pickled radish. Roll it up tightly.
Step 12
Your delicious Tuna and Cheongyang Pepper Kimbap is ready!
Step 13
For the second kimbap, the Aged Kimchi Kimbap: Spread rice on the gim, then layer with the seasoned aged kimchi, egg strips, and pickled radish. Roll it up firmly to prevent the kimchi from spilling out.
Step 14
The crunchy and flavorful Aged Kimchi Kimbap is complete!
Step 15
Now, let’s slice the kimbap. These might seem simple, but they have an addictive taste that’s hard to resist. I remember my dad making kimbap with fried egg and kimchi when he didn’t have much appetite. We often make kimbap with whatever ingredients we have on hand, so I always keep pickled radish stocked. Eating these two kimbap together was incredibly delicious!
