Tuna Kimbap – One of Korea’s favorite rolls

Tuna Kimbap. It’s one of Korea’s favorite type of Kimbap. It tastes light and savory, a spring tuna salad with crunchy bits of cucumber and cabbage. Not to mention the slight grassy smell of the perilla leaf. A perfect roll to make for the summer!

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This recipe is much simpler to make than traditional Kimbap. All you need is a can of tuna and a few fresh veggies.

Substitutions: If you don’t like tuna, replace it with canned chicken. For the perilla leaves, there is no real substitute. Perhaps shiso leaves? If you can’t find either, skip it or add a few Thai or Lemon basil leaves. It should also add a hint of herbal flavor.

P.s. In Korea, we like to eat Kimbap with a bowl of Spicy Korean Ramen. The two pair well together – Bon Appetit neighbors!

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Tuna Kimbap - One of Korea's Favorite Kimbap

Tuna Kimbap is one of Korea's favorite type of Kimbap

Course Easy

Servings 3 rolls

Ingredients

Fresh ingredients

• Tuna - 1 can 150 grams
• Gim - 3 sheets
• Cabbage - 1 layer
• Perilla leaves - 6
• Cucumber - small piece length of your pointer finger
• Onion - 1/4 whole

Sushi Rice Seasoning

• Cooked white rice - 2 cups
• Salt - 1/2 teaspoon
• Sesame oil - 1 Tablespoon
• Sesame seeds - few shakes

Tuna Cucumber Salad Seasoning

• Mayonnaise - 3 Tablespoons Japanese or Korean Mayonnaise tastes great!
• Vinegar - 1 teaspoon
• Black pepper - few shakes

Instructions

Prep ingredients

• Open tuna can. Drain it and squeeze out the oil. 
• Take stems off perilla leaves. Cut the 1/4 piece of onion into thin small slices. Julienne the piece of cucumber and cabbage leaf into very thin strips. 
• Take out a mixing bowl. Mix-in mayonnaise, vinegar and black pepper. Stir it together. Then throw in the tuna, cabbage, cucumber and onions. Mix it together with your hands. Top the mixture with a few shakes of black pepper. 

Make gimbap rice

• Put rice into a large bowl. Fan it out so it can lose some steam and cool off.
• Then sprinkle some salt (1/2 teaspoon) over the rice. Place sesame oil in (1 Tablespoon). Sprinkle on sesame seeds as well. Mix everything together. Set aside.

Roll-up gimbap

• Place a sheet of gim on the cutting board (make sure its dry) 
• Place an even layer of rice over the gim - up to about 2/3 of the sheet (reference video). Don't let the rice clump up in one spot - spread it out evenly. 
• Place two perilla leaves at the center of the rice. Then put a few scoops of the tuna mixture over the leaves. 
• Pull the bottom of the sheet up to the 2/3 line. Then use your hands to gently scoot back the filling, while squeezing the roll to make it firm. Continue to roll to the end.
• Dab your finger in water. Then run it across the edge of the sheet. Roll it and seal the roll off.
• Repeat again to make two more rolls.

Notes

• It should make 3 kimbap rolls
• See video below for more details

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