Revamped Korean Kimbap/Gimbap

• 4 Sheets of nori (seaweed wrapper)
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
• 1 tbsp mirin (Korean cooking wine)
• 2 tbsp stevia (this replaces the sugar or corn syrup)
• 2 ounces of julienned carrots
• 2 ounces of pickled yellow radish
• 2 cups of cooked brown rice
• 6-8 ounces of skirt steak sliced thin
• 2 ounces of cream cheese
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Start by taking the skirt steak and slicing it into thin strips. Place the steak strips in a bowl and add the soy sauce, mirin, stevia, and sesame oil (1 tsp). Mix thoroughly and set aside while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

If your pickled yellow radish already comes package in thick strips, just remove a couple of strips and julienne them. They should be the same size as the carrots. If it is sold whole just julienne the pickled yellow. I like buying whole radish because you can control how it’s sliced.

I decided to add cream cheese to my revamp. I like the taste and texture it adds. There is no right or wrong way when creating your own Kimbap/Gimbap. The cream cheese needs to remain cold so you can cut the brick into manageable strips. Once cut you can place the cream cheese back in the refrigerator or let it come to room temp.

Let’s make some rice! I use my Instant pot to make the brown rice. Take 2 cups of the brown rice and place it in the IP stainless steel insert. Rinse rice with cold water and place the stainless steel insert back in the IP. When cooking rice I recommend you follow the dd 1:1 ratio rice to water. So for 2 cups of brown rice you need 2 cups of water. Place the lid on the IP and close the valve. Turn on the IP then hit the rice function. 12 Minutes should pop up on the IP and switch to ON as the pressure builds.

While the rice is cooking mix salt, stevia, pepper, and sesame oil in a bowl. This will be used later to give the rice flavor.

Once the brown rice is finished let the pressure release naturally. Carefully remove the lid and fluff the brown rice with a fork. Pour in the bowl of ingredients from the step above. Mix the brown rice with a wooden rice spoon. Cover the rice with a damp towel or damp cheesecloth.

Take the juilenned carrots and sautee them in a pan with 1 tbsp of coconut oil. Do not cook them fully, you want the carrots to still have a bite to them. After sauteeing remove carrots from the pan and set aside.

Take the remaining coconut oil and place it in the saute pan. Add in the marinated skirt steak and cook until it has browned. Be careful the steak is thinly sliced and you don’t want it to over cook. Once finished remove from the pan and set aside.

Now its time to assemble the Kimbap/Gimbap. Lay down a bamboo mat. If you don’t have one that’s okay try to lay the nori on a clean cutting board. You will have to roll the Kimbap/Gimbap with your hands of you don’t have a bamboo mat.

I like to cover my bamboo mat with plastic wrap for easy clean up. Place the nori on the mat shiny side down. Add a layer of the brown rice and spread evenly. Be gentle, you don’t want to tear the nori. Next you line the skirt steak, pickled yellow radish, sauteed carrots, and cream cheese over the rice. Carefully roll the bamboo mat away from you. As you roll squeeze a bit so the ingredients stay in place. Once the nori is rolled take a tiny amount of sesame oil and brush it on the outside of the Kimbap/Gimbap. Sprinkle a small amount of sesame seeds after you have brushed the sesame oil on. Use a sharpened knife and carefully cut the Kimbap/Gimbap into think slices.

I like to eat Kimchee/Kimchi with the Kimbap/Gimbap to give it that authentic Korean feel. You can purchase Kimchee/Kimchi at your local Oriental market or local grocery stores. I recommend finding an Oriental market that makes their own Kimchee/Kimchi. It taste 1000 times better than store bought.