Gimbap may look like sushi, but it has its own unique taste. The rice gets sesame oil mixed in after cooking rather than the usual rice vinegar and sugar. And the fillings are very different. Whereas I tend to associate sushi mostly with raw fish and veggies, gimbap relies much more heavily on cooked ingredients. And, of course, you always have to have some danmuji!

Gimbap is extremely flexible. This means there isn't just one recipe for it. As long as you have rice and nori, you can add pretty much whatever you want. What you'll find below is a general pattern with suggestions for fillings. It can be fun to provide lots of them and let everyone roll their own gimbap at the table. Underneath the general recipe, I've included some suggested combinations, but don't feel that you have to stick to these. Make it what you want!

Gimbap

Slightly adapted from Aaron & Claire

Ingredients

Rice

• 1 c. short-grain white rice
• 1 c. water
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• 1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt, ground

Assembly

• egg
• tuna salad
• sautéed spinach
• sautéed carrots
• ham and/or sausage
• pork belly
• bulgogi
• red cabbage, shredded
• bell pepper, thinly sliced
• cucumber, cut into sticks
• avocado, sliced
• kimchi
• danmuji
• immitation crab sticks
• ssamjang
• perilla leaves
• lettuce
• nori sheets

Directions

Rice

1. Add rice and water to InstantPot and pressure cook on high for 4 minutes.
2. Allow for a 10-minute natural relese, then fluff the rice and mix in the sesame oil and salt.
3. Keep it warm and covered until ready to use so it doesn't dry out.

Preparation

1. If using egg: Beat the egg(s) very well. Add a little bit of mirin if you like. Heat a pan with a little oil and pour in a thin layer of egg. Cover the pan so the egg cooks all the way through. Repeat until all the egg is used. Use cooked egg as is or chiffonade as desired.
2. If using tuna salad: Prepare your tuna. Drain and mix with mayo. I like to add a little wasabi, minced onion, and chopped green onion/scallion.
3. If using carrot: Julienne the carrot and cook it in a little butter or oil until tender-crisp.
4. If using spinach: For fresh spinach, blanch it briefly first. Frozen spinach can be used directly. Sauté in a little sesame oil with some garlic.
5. If using ham: Cut it into sticks and cook until slightly browned and crisp on the outside.
6. If using pork belly: Cut into slices and fry until cooked through.
7. If using bulgogi: Have it ready in advance or make this quick "bulgogi".
8. Get any other toppings or inclusions ready.

Assembly

1. Spread a portion of rice (maybe 1/2 a cup or so) onto the nori sheet. Aim to cover ~3/4 of the sheet in a thin layer of rice.
2. Add whatever fillings you like in a line along the middle of the rice.
3. Roll up the nori and rice around the fillings. Press firmly. Wet the edge of the nori to help it stick to itself.
4. Coat the blade of a sharp knife in sesame oil and cut the roll into slices.

Suggested Combinations

(Nori and rice are implied.)

• egg and kimchi
• tuna, kimchi, egg, carrot, bell pepper, danmuji, perilla leaves and/or lettuce
• lettuce, egg, danmuji, carrot, bulgogi, ssamjang, and avocado
• cabbage, cucumber, carrot, bell pepper, egg, and avocado
• egg, danmuji, ham, immitation crab, spinach, carrot
• lettuce, egg, danmuji, kimchi, bell pepper, pork belly, ssamjang
• danmuji, carrot, bell pepper, spinach, cucumber