Kimbap
It was my favorite thing my Mom made when I was growing up.
Whenever my Mom made Kimbap, I could hardly wait for her to finish making it, I often hung around the kitchen, asking Mom many questions. "Is it done?", "when is it going to be done?", "Can I help you, so it will be done faster?" But my Mom always said, "It's almost done." It was frustrating to me when she says that because that was what she told me 30 minutes ago.
Now whenever I make Kimbap, my children would hang around the kitchen, asking me the same questions that I used to ask my Mom, and I would always say, "It's almost done." :)
And I know now, 'it's almost done.' really means 'It's done when I say it's done, so don't ask me again.'
Oh, the things you find out when you become a Mom.
Making Kimbap is a lot of work. But the work cannot be compared to the precious smiles you get from your children. Seeing my precious children eating well, warms my heart, and gets me rolling up my sleeves again. I can do this!
Ingredients
(makes 5 rolls)
4 cups cooked rice (good quality, short grain rice)
10 sheets of seaweed (nori)
1 carrot, julienne cut.
1/2 cucumber, halved and seeded, and cut it into 5 thin strips (pat it dry with paper towels)
5 imitation crab sticks
1/2 can of spam cut into 1/4-1/2 inch strips
5 long strips of pickled radish (optional)
6 large eggs (beaten)
To season the rice:
1 TBSP sesame seed oil
1 TBSP sesame seed
1 tsp salt
1. Season the rice when it is hot, mix well, and cover it with a damp towel.
2. Pour beaten eggs over a greased pan so that it covers the bottom of the pan in a thin layer.
Cook both sides (just like a pancake).
(I usually cook the eggs and cut into pieces, but today I'm using the whole piece to wrap all the ingredients.)
3. Cook julienned carrots in a greased pan for two minutes.
4. Fry spam in oil until it's lightly cooked.
5. On a sheet of seaweed, place the thin layer of cooked egg, and then place the prepared ingredients.
6. Roll up the ingredients.
7. On a separate sheet of seaweed, spread the rice.
8. Place rolled up ingredients on the rice.
9. Roll up all together, and use the bamboo mat to press it evenly.
10. Viola! your first Kimbap roll is done! I usually lightly rub the seaweed wrapper with sesame seed oil to finish it off.
11. cut it into small pieces (when cutting the roll, rub sesame seed oil on both sides of your knife for easier slicing). Now plate it, serve it, and watch your children and husband devour it...it is worth it;)