Jumeok Bap (Korean Rice Balls) – 3 Ways!
Today, we’ll roll-up our sleeves and have some fun with rice balls.
The menu is Korean Jumeok Bap!
Jumeok means fist and Bap means rice in Korean. It’s essentially a lump of rice that is molded into a round loaf – the shape of a fist.
Not sure whose fist looks this round… but it is, what it is!
What I enjoy about Jumeok Bap is that it’s very simple to make - no need to buy any gimmicky rice-molds!
Just roll them into a ball - using the hands you’re born with!Let’s get into it – allow me to show you 3 of Korea’s most popular fillings for these rice balls.
The first is Tuna Mayo.
This is easily the most popular type of filling for rice balls in Korea. The combination of tuna and mayo works beautifully.
I also recommend finely chopping a ⅓ of a chili pepper and adding it to the mix for a slight kick.
Just be careful when opening that can of tuna!
Ingredients
Tuna Rice Ball
- 1 can Tuna (150 gram)
- Good amount Mayonnaise
- 1-2 pinches Salt
- Few cracks Black Pepper
- ⅓ whole Finely Diced Chili Pepper (Optional)
Seasoned Rice
- 1.5 cups Rice (Short Grain Rice)
- 2 pinches of Salt
- 1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
Instructions
Make Tuna Filling
- Open can of tuna. Drain liquid out. Then empty tuna into a mixing bowl.
- Place in a good amount of mayonnaise. Give it a mix - add more if you need.
- Season with a few pinches of salt and black pepper.
- Finely dice ⅓ of a chili pepper and add to the mix.
Season Rice
- Scoop out 1.5 cups of cooked rice into a bowl. Season with a few pinches of salt and 1 Tablespoon of Sesame Oil.
- Fold the rice and make
Make Rice Balls
- Place a few spoonfuls of the tuna mix. Give it a mix - add more to taste.
- Then mold with your hands into compact ball shape. Then round it out by rolling it in your palms.
- Optional: Make Scrambled Eggs on the side - eat it as a side dish, alongside your rice balls!
The second is Gochujang Beef.
When I was making this, I couldn’t help but think how tasty it would taste on many Western dishes too – like a baked potato or as a topping on pizza!
Use a few scoops of gochujang and stir-fry it around the pan – so that it sizzles in the succulent juices of the meat.
Then add a small amount of honey to offset the spiciness!
Save any leftovers in the fridge – and use it as a topping for a rice bowl the next day (along with a fried egg, of course!)
Ingredients
Gochujang Beef Rice Balls
- 400 grams Minced Beef
- 1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
- Few cracks Black Pepper
- 2 Tablespoons Gochujang Paste
- ½ Tablespoon Honey
Rice
- 1.5 cups Cooked Rice (Use Short-Grain "Sushi" Rice)
- Few pinches Salt
- 1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
Instructions
Make Gochujang-Beef
- Place 400 grams of Minced Beef into a mixing bowl. Place in Soy Sauce (1 Tablespoon) and Black Pepper (few cracks). Give it a good mix with your hands.
- Place the seasoned meat into a cold frying pan. Then turn onto a medium-heat. As the pan slowly heats up, break the meat up into small crumbles with a spatula or other wooden tool.
- Stir-fry and continue to break up the meat until most of the red is gone from the beef.
- Then add in Gochujang Paste (2 Tablespoons). Stir-fry until the gochujang is evenly mixed in. Then add in Honey (½ Tablespoon). Stir-fry for additional 10-15 seconds more - so the honey gets stir-fried into the meat as well.
- Turn off heat and set the filling into a bowl.
Season Rice
- Scoop out 1.5 cups of cooked rice into a mixing bowl. Season it with few pinches of Salt and 1 Tablespoon of Sesame Oil. Gently fold the rice and get the rice well mixed.
- Next, scoop out a few ladles of the seasoned rice into a separate mixing bowl. Add a few spoonfuls of the Gochujang Beef filling. Mix the two well together.
- Then use your hands - and some pressure - to mold the rice mixture into a compact ball. Roll between your palms to make a nice round shape.
- Optional: Make scrambled eggs on the side, and eat alongside your rice balls! Great combination!
The third is Kimchi Spam.
A classic combination in Korea! We’ll stir-fry the sourness of aged Kimchi with the salty, richness of SPAM.
(Note: Feel free to substitute SPAM with Sausage or Bacon).
The key ingredients – besides the aged Kimchi – is a mix of minced garlic, gochugaru and sesame oil.
The trio brings balance, comfort and that “authentic Korean” flavor.
Season the rice with a drizzle of Sesame Oil & few sprinkles of salt.
The sesame oil will keep the balls from sticking to each other and the container that you store it in.
Ingredients
- Small amount Aged Kimchi (~½ cup)
- Small amount Spam (~⅕ can)
- 2-3 cloves Garlic
- 1 teaspoon (!) Sugar
- 1 teaspoon (!) Gochugaru Flakes
- Small amount Leftover Kimchi Juice (~2 Tablespoons)
Seasoned Rice
- 1.5 cups Cooked Rice (Use Short-Grain "Sushi" Rice)
- Few pinches Salt
- 1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
Instructions
Prep Spam Kimchi Filling
- Cut aged Kimchi into small bite-sized pieces with a pair of kitchen scissors.
- Then use a knife and chop-up the Spam (or sausage, bacon) into small pieces as well.
Stir-fry Spam Kimchi Filling
- Place SPAM pieces into a frying pan. Stir-fry on medium-heat until you get a slight browning on the pieces.
- Next, add in the Kimchi. Stir-fry it together for 1 minute - until lot of the liquid is cooked away.
- Then, add in Minced Garlic (~2 cloves worth), Sugar (~ 1 teaspoon) and Gochugaru Flakes (1 teaspoon).
- Add-in some Residual Kimchi Juice. Stir-fry it all around.
- Then give a quick sample. Make any adjustments and season to taste.
- Turn off heat and place into a mixing bowl. Use a pair of kitchen scissors and chop-up the mixture again into smaller pieces (makes it easier to roll into a ball later)
Make Rice Balls
- Scoop out 1.5 Cups of Cooked Rice into a mixing bowl. Season it with Salt (few pinches) and Sesame Oil (1 Tablespoon).
- Now scoop out some of the seasoned rice into a separate mixing bowl. Then add in a few spoonfuls of the Spam-Kimchi filling. Add more as needed. Then mix together.
- Use your hands - apply some pressure - and mold the mixed rice into a ball shape. Smooth it out by rolling the ball in between your palms.
- Plate and enjoy!
- Note: Cook up some scrambled eggs - and eat alongside the rice balls. A great combination!
Cooking notes for Jumeok Bap:
Don’t mix-in all of the filling into the rice at once! Instead, add a few spoonfuls at a time.
When shaping the balls, apply some pressure – so that the balls become compact. This way, it doesn’t fall apart when you grab it.
When making rice balls, you want to be using short-grain rice (aka sushi rice). Short-grains rice release more starch when cooked, making the grains sticky.
For a side banchan, I recommend eating these rice balls with some scrambled egg on the side! A good 1-2 combination 🥊
Easy as that! Love ya’ll and have yourself one fabuloso day!
(P.s. If you’re cooking alone, don’t get bored. Consider listening to our latest podcast episode while you cook!)
Toinette says
I thought making rice balls was hard - it totally isn't!!
It's super yummy and easy to make. The only problem is that I now keep running out of sushi rice