Seaweed Rolls of Rice, Beef and Spinach(Gimbap)

This is a snack food which is very popular as a picnic lunch.

You can make many varieties of fillings. Since rice is compact, it is very filling with just a few pieces. Cook the rice a bit dry. To prepare these rolls, you will need to use a bamboo sheet, which helps one form rolls of sushi.

INGREDIENTS (serves 4) 3 cups RICE

1 pack SPINACH, blanched and excess water squeezed out 1 large CARROT, cut into strips, stir-fried with oil and a pinch of sugar 1/2 lb/225g BEEF RIB EYE or SIRLOIN, sliced thin 1/2 BULGOGI MARINADE VEGETABLE OIL 8 sheets of lightly toasted GIM (seaweed for sushi) 1 pack SWEET RADISH (colored yellow), sliced 1. Cook the rice a bit dry by adding less water. Let cool. Prepare the spinach and carrots.

2. Mix the beef with marinade. Cook with a bit of oil until all the liquid is evaporated. Let cool.

3. Spread the bamboo sheet and a sheet of “gim” (seaweed) on top. Spread the rice thin over 3/4 of the gim and even thinner near the edges. Place a half sheet of seaweed over the rice and spread all the fillings in even layers on top of this.

4 Roll this up tightly with the help of the bamboo sheet.

Close the end with crushed rice pieces.

Remove the bamboo sheet and slice the roll into 3/4”/2 cm thick. Clean the knife as you cut the rolls so that it doesn’t stick to the rice.

This is an excerpt from “Korean Cuisine: Healthy Food, Full of Flavor,” (Yekyong Publishing, 224 pp., 28,000 won). The book is on sale at major bookstores such as Kyobo Bookstore, Youngpoong Bookstore and Bandi & Luni’s. - ED.