Recipe excerpt from:
A Taste of the World: Celebrating Global Flavors
by Rowena Scherer

Pronounced “GIM-bap,” this is a Korean seaweed rice roll filled with vegetables. They are similar to Japanese sushi except the rice is not sea- soned with vinegar. It is a tradition to make children kimbap for lunch or when they go on a school picnic or field trip in Korea. It is also a common street and party food. In this recipe we use bulgogi beef (Korean BBQ beef) and vegetables, but you can have fun trying out different fillings.

Serves: 4
Allergans: Dairy-Free, Nut-Free, Vegetarian Optional
Total Prep & Cook Time: 50 minutes

What You’ll Need

• 5 radishes
• 1 cucumber
• 1 carrot
• 3 scallions
• 2 cups short-grain rice
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt, plus more as needed
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil, plus more as needed
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 12 ounces ground beef or ground chicken
• 8 sheets toasted nori or Korean seaweed

Vegetarian Option

• 1 (16-oz) package firm tofu

Bulgogi Sauce

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 
1 tablespoon sesame oil

• 1 tablespoon mirin

• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1. Prep the ingredients
   Radishes — Trim the ends and thinly slice into small strips.
   Cucumber — Trim the ends, cut into 2-inch pieces, and thinly slice into small strips.
   Carrot — Peel and trim the ends. Cut into 2-inch pieces and thinly slice into small strips.
   Scallions — Trim the ends and thinly slice.
   Bulgogi Sauce — Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and mix well.
   Vegetarian option
   Tofu — Drain. Use paper towel to press out the liquid from the tofu. Cut into 1⁄2-inch cubes.
2. Cook the rice

   Rinse the rice in a colander to remove excess starch.
   In a medium pot, combine the rinsed rice, a pinch of salt, and 3 cups water and bring to a boil over high heat.
   Decrease the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender.
   Remove from the heat, add 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and 1 tablespoon of sesame oil to the cooked rice, and mix well with a fork.
3. Make the pickled radishes and carrots (while the rice is cooking)
   In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon of rice wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar, 2 tea- spoons of sugar, 1 tablespoon water, and 1⁄2 teaspoon of salt.
   Add the radish and carrot strips and toss until combined. Let sit for at least 15 minutes.
4. Prep the omelet
   In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, 1 tablespoon water, and a pinch
of salt.
   In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat until hot.
   Add the egg mixture and cook the omelet until the bottom sets and is cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes.
   Carefully flip the omelet onto a cutting board and cut into 1⁄2-inch strips.
5. Sauté the meat or tofu

   In the same skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat until hot.
   Add the ground beef or chicken and, using a fork, crumble the meat and cook until it starts to brown, about 5 minutes.
   Vegetarian option
   Add the tofu and cook until it starts to brown, 2 to 3 minutes.
   Add the scallions and Bulgogi Sauce and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Assemble and serve the kimbap
   Place one seaweed sheet on a bamboo mat and spread with
a thin layer of rice. Add layers of meat or tofu, sliced cucumber, pick- led carrots, pickled radishes, and omelet strips on the lower center of the sheet.
   Lift the bottom of the mat to cover the ingredients. Roll up to the top. Roll with the mat once more to give it a firm shape.
   Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Brush the roll with sesame oil.
   Cut into bite – size pieces.