Mini gimbap

This mini gimbap uses minimal ingredients, which takes no effort to roll up. I used three ingredients here ― pickled radish, carrot and spinach. This gimbap is called ggoma gimbap because of its small size. Ggoma means a little one or little kid in Korean. It’s also known as mayak gimbap. Mayak means narcotics, so the name comes from this gimbap’s reputation for being addictive. It’s a specialty of Gwangjang Market, a bustling, crowded market in the center city of Seoul, where the merchants came up with the idea to serve these little guys with a sweet and tangy hot mustard sauce. 


A typical hot mustard sauce includes hot mustard called gyeoja, vinegar, soy sauce and sugar. Here, I tried it with dijon mustard and added finely ground sesame seeds for extra nutty flavor to pair with the sesame oil laden gimbap. It’s addictive! 

Makes 16 pieces

Ingredients:

● 1-1/2 cups uncooked short grain rice (standard measuring cup not the cup that comes with a rice cooker) 

● 2 teaspoons sesame oil 

● salt to taste (start with 1/3 teaspoon)

● 1 small bunch spinach

● 1 teaspoon sesame oil

● salt to taste ― about 1/4 teaspoon

● 1 large carrot, julienned 

● 4 yellow pickled radish (danmuji) strips, precut for gimbap

● 4 gim (dried seaweed) sheets

Sauce:

● 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, finely ground in a spice grinder or mortar bowl

● 1 tablespoon vinegar

● 1 teaspoon soy sauce 

● 1 teaspoon dijon mustard (or Korean hot mustard, gyeoja)

● 1/8 teaspoon salt

● 2 teaspoons sugar

Cook the rice using a little less water than usual. (Fresh cooked rice is best for gimbap.)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat and prepare an ice bath. Blanch the spinach, place immediately in the ice bath, then squeeze the water out. Run a knife through the squeezed spinach a couple of times. Season with the sesame oil and salt.

Julienne the carrots. Heat a lightly oiled pan over medium high heat. Stir-fry the carrots until slightly softened. Lightly season with a pinch of salt.

Cut each strip of pickled radish crosswise in half, and then cut lengthwise in half.

When all the ingredients are ready, remove the rice from the rice cooker. While the rice is still hot, add the sesame oil and salt. Mix well by lightly folding with a rice paddle or spoon until evenly seasoned. 

Cut four sheets of nori into quarters. 

Put a quarter sheet of gim, shiny side down and shorter side toward you, on a cutting board. Spread 1 tablespoon to 1-1/2 tablespoons of rice evenly over the gim, leaving a little bit of space on the side away from you. Do this with your fingers. Keep a wet towel handy and wipe your fingers frequently to keep the rice from sticking to your fingers. Lay the prepared ingredients on top of the rice, closer toward you. 

Lift the entire bottom edge with both hands and roll over the filling away from you, tucking in the filling with your fingers.

Rub or brush the roll with a little bit of sesame oil for extra flavor and a shiny look. 

Kimchi sundubu jjigae (kimchi soft tofu stew)

Sundubu jjigae is a stew made with uncurdled tofu. Here, the tofu is paired with kimchi and meat. You can use any meat you want. Mushrooms are a good substitute if you don’t like meat. For the best results, always use fully fermented kimchi to cook with. Also, if you have some salted shrimp (saewujeot) leftover from making kimchi, use a little to season the stew instead of salt. It adds a wonderful layer to the flavor. Keep a package or two of sundubu in the fridge and whip up this bubbling pot of flavorful jjigae when you want something warm and comforting. 

Kimchi sundubu jjigae (Korean Bapsang)

Ingredients:

● 1 package (350 grams) sundubu (extra soft/silken tofu)

● 1/3 cup thinly sliced kimchi

● 60 grams beef or pork 

● 1 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes (gochugaru) ― add more for a spicier stew

● 1 teaspoon minced garlic

● 1 teaspoon sesame oil (use a little more if using more gochugaru)

● 1 cup water (or anchovy broth) 

● 2 to 3 tablespoons juice from kimchi

● 1/2 teaspoon saewujeot (salted shrimp) or salt

● pinch black pepper

● 1 scallion, finely chopped

● 1 egg (optional)

Cut the meat and kimchi into small thin strips. Add the kimchi, meat, red chili pepper flakes, garlic and sesame oil to a small pot and place it over medium heat. 

Stir-fry until the meat is almost cooked, 3-4 minutes.

Pour in the water (or broth) and juice from the kimchi. Bring it to a boil, and continue to boil for 3-4 minutes. Skim off the scum. 

Add the soft tofu in big chunks. Stir in the salted shrimp or salt to taste (start with 1/4 teaspoon) and black pepper. Cook for 4-5 minutes. Add the chopped scallion just before removing the pot from the heat. If desired, crack an egg into the stew while it’s still boiling hot.

Asparagus with gochujang sauce

Here’s a quick and easy Korean side dish you can make with spring asparagus. Simply blanch the asparagus and dress with a sweet and vinegary gochujang (Korean red chili pepper paste) sauce, called cho-gochujang. 

Cho-gochujang is used in various dishes. It’s also popular as a dipping sauce for vegetables and seafood such as squid and raw fish (saengseon hoe). Everyone makes the sauce a little differently, but the key ingredients are gochujang, vinegar, and sugar. Adjust the amount of vinegar or sugar to your taste. 

This sauce is also great with other spring vegetables such as dureup and dolnamul. 

Asparagus with gochujang sauce (Korean Bapsang)

Ingredients:

● 450 grams asparagus

● 1 tablespoon salt

Cho-gochujang (sweet and sour gochujang sauce):

2 tablespoons gochujang, Korean red chili pepper paste

2 tablespoons vinegar 

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic 

1 teaspoon sesame oil 

1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds

Remove the tough ends of the asparagus. Cut into about 5 centimeter lengths. 

Blanch them in salted boiling water until softened, about 1 to 3 minutes. Remove with a strainer, and shock in cold water. Drain very well. 

Mix the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Pour over the asparagus, and toss well to mix.