Kimchi gimbap 김치 김밥 (a.k.a. Korean sushi)

I recently made a fresh batch of kimchi and I’ve been adding it to almost everything… it’s seriously addictive! I then used it to make gimbap (Korean sushi). It’s seriously delicious. Please make or buy some kimchi, and then make this gimbap. You won’t be disappointed. Very quick, very easy.

Kimchi gimbap

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup brown rice

  • 1.5 tbsp rice wine vinegar

  • 1 tbsp maple syrup

  • 1/4 tsp salt

  • 3 nori sheets

  • Mayonnaise (I used S&W Whole Egg Mayonnaise)

  • Homemade kimchi (or good quality store bought)

  • Cooked chicken (I used leftover boiled chicken from last nights dinner, a Bill Granger light laksa)

  • Butter lettuce leaves

  • Soy sauce/tamari, for dipping

Method

  1. Rinse the rice with water and transfer to a medium saucepan. I then add enough water so that it reaches the first knuckle of my index finger. Specifically, this would be your distal interphalangeal (Google it, haha!). With the lid on, bring the rice to a boil on a high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, keeping the lid on. Simmer the rice until the water is completely absorbed, about 20-25 minutes. You can take a quick look to check how it’s travelling at the 20 minute mark.

  2. While the rice is cooking, combine the rice wine vinegar, maple syrup and salt in a small bowl, whisking to combine. Set aside.

  3. Once the rice is cooked, remove from the heat and stir through the vinegar mixture with a spatula or fork, ensuring not to overmix. Set aside to cool and dry.

  4. Once the rice is ready, it’s time to assemble! You could use a sushi rolling mat however, it really isn’t necessary. Place a nori sheet on a chopping board and add a couple tablespoons of rice. Smooth the rice out evenly over the sheet. I use a small cake icing spatula but you can use anything, e.g. knife, spoon. Spread over some mayonnaise, followed by the kimchi, chicken and lettuce leaves. Roll it all up and voilà! It might be worth watching a quick YouTube video to see the technique. Please don’t be intimidated by sushi making, it’s very simple!

  5. Cut your sushi into pieces and serve on a plate with dipping sauce. Enjoy.

Holly Charltonnutritionist, dietitian, dietetics, diet, goldcoastdietitian, gold coast nutritionist, korean food, south korea, healthyrecipe, Food, lunch, fermented