Korean Kimbap: Seaweed Rice Rolls with Egg, Carrot and Pickled Radish for Lunches

Season the warm rice with 1 tablespoon sesame oil, the salt and sesame seeds. Fold gently with a spatula and let it cool to just warm; hot rice will tear the seaweed.

Serves 4 (4 rolls)

Ingredients

• 3 cups cooked short-grain white rice, still warm
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil, plus more for brushing
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
• 4 sheets roasted seaweed (gim), full size
• 3 large eggs, beaten with a pinch of salt
• 2 medium carrots, cut into thin matchsticks
• 5 oz (140 g) fresh spinach
• 4 strips yellow pickled radish (danmuji)
• 8 strips imitation crab or cooked ham (optional)
• 1 tsp neutral oil, for the pan

Instructions

1. Season the warm rice with 1 tablespoon sesame oil, the salt and sesame seeds. Fold gently with a spatula and let it cool to just warm; hot rice will tear the seaweed.
2. Heat the neutral oil in a nonstick skillet over medium. Pour in the beaten eggs to make one thin omelette, cook 2 minutes per side, then slide onto a board and slice into 1/2-inch strips.
3. In the same skillet, stir-fry the carrot matchsticks with a pinch of salt for 2 minutes until just softened. Remove. Add the spinach with a splash of water, wilt for 1 minute, then squeeze dry and season with a few drops of sesame oil and salt.
4. Lay one sheet of seaweed shiny side down on a bamboo mat or a sheet of parchment. Spread about 3/4 cup rice over the bottom two-thirds of the sheet in an even, thin layer, leaving a 1-inch bare strip at the top.
5. Arrange a line of egg, carrot, spinach, a pickled radish strip and 2 strips of crab or ham across the center of the rice.
6. Lift the near edge of the mat and roll firmly away from you, tucking the fillings in with your fingers as you go. Press and squeeze the mat as you roll to make a tight cylinder, then dab the bare strip of seaweed with water to seal.
7. Brush the outside of each roll lightly with sesame oil. Slice into 3/4-inch rounds with a sharp knife, wiping the blade between cuts.
8. Make-ahead tip: whole unsliced rolls wrap tightly and keep in the fridge overnight; slice in the morning. Do not refrigerate longer than a day or the rice hardens. Pack with a small container of kimchi or cucumber slices.
9. Kimbap is Korea's signature portable meal, tucked into every school field-trip bag and picnic basket. Unlike sushi, the rice is seasoned with sesame oil rather than vinegar, giving it a nutty warmth that holds up beautifully at room temperature by lunchtime, which is why Korean parents have relied on it for generations of school days.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 380 kcal
• Protein: 13g
• Fat: 11g
• Carbohydrates: 56g
• Fiber: 4g
• Sugar: 4g
• Sodium: 690mg