Chamchi Gimbap (Korean Seaweed Rice Roll with Tuna)

Gimbap/kimbap is a popular dish among adults and kids.  It's a common dish for outing in Korea.  Most family prepare/buy kimbap when going for picnic, especially in spring you can see families gathered and sitting in a park enjoying family quality time :)

 

There are many types of gimbap in Korea: Kimchi gimbap, beef gimbap, cheese gimbap, tuna gimbap, and etc.  I was told that gimbap like beef and tuna are 'premium' gimbap where the price is slightly higher than common gimbap :p

 

Serving size: Make 4 rolls
Ingredients:
4 cups cooked rice                    
- (made with 1&1/2 cup short grain rice and 1/2 cup multi grain rice)
*You can use short grain rice only.
4 Dried seaweed sheet                                                                                    
1 can Tuna flakes
4 strips Ham
4 strips Crabstick
4 strips Yellow pickled raddish
4 strips Cucumber
1/2 cup Carrot (cut into strips)
3 Egg
3 tbsp Mayonaise
2 + 1/2 tbsp Sesame oil
Salt
Cooking oil

Step by step photos:

 

 

 

 

1. Cut the cucumber into strips with the same length and size with ham and crabstick.  Sprinkle some salt over the cucumbers and leave it for 5 minutes.  After 5 minutes, rinse with water and pat dry with kitchen paper towel.
2. Drain the oil (or water) in the can of tuna and stir fry in a pan for a few minutes (optional, you can use the tuna straight from the can too).  Let it cool down, add mayonaise and mix well.
3. Prepare a pan, drizzle some cooking oil and pan fry the ham and crabstick for 2 minutes (optional, you can skip this step as the crabstick and ham is edible cold).
4. Fry the carrot in a pan with a little cooking oil and a pinch of salt for about 2 minutes on medium heat.
5. Heat the pan with some cooking oil and pour the beaten egg mixture to the pan over medium heat. Fry both side until cooked.  Slice into strips.
6. Prepare the rice by mixing in 1 tbsp of sesame seeds, 1/2 tsp of salt and 1 & 1/2 tbsp of sesame oil while the rice is still warm.  Let it cool down before use, hot rice will curl up the seaweed sheet...
7. Place the seaweed sheet on bamboo mat.  Spread generous amount of rice covered up the seaweed sheet, leaving about 1/4 of the sheet uncovered with rice at one end.
8. Place ham, tuna, pickled radish, crabstick, egg and carrot on the spreaded rice.
9. Roll up the gimbap.  Place some water or a few pieces of rice at the other end of seaweed sheet to help sealing the gimbap.  Squeeze the bamboo mat evenly.
10. Brush gimbap with some sesame oil.  *This step will help to keep the gimbap moist and easy to slice too :)
11. Slice gimbap with a clean and sharp knife.  *Wipe the knife with a layer of sesame oil to ease the slicing process or prepare a bowl of water and a clean cloth (or kitchen paper towel), dip the knife in the water and wipe off the starch and continue slicing.