Tuna Kimbap Recipe: A Step-by-Step Guide to Chamchi Kimbap

Introduction

Tuna kimbap, which is also identified simply as chamchi kimbap, is a Korean rice roll filled and wrapped in seaweed (gim) with tuna and several varieties of vegetables seasoned. A snack or food well-known to Koreans and not hard to find in any street corner of Korea, kimbap literally means “seaweed rice,” and is often prepared for picnics, travel, or as an easy convenience food. In this particular form, tuna is mixed with mayonnaise and various spices to create a delicious and satisfying filling, called tuna kimbap. This dish is not only easy to make, but it is also healthy and tastes amazing, which will quickly make it your favourite.

What is Kimbap?

The Korean dish kimbap, also known as gimbap, is similar to sushi, but has some important differences. This dish uses various ingredients such as rice, vegetables, meat or seafood and gim (dried seaweed sheets) seasoned with sesame oil. While sushi rice is seasoned with vinegar, kimbap rice is seasoned with sesame oil, giving it a sweet and slightly nutty flavor. The fillings for kimbap can vary, but for this recipe we will make chamchi kimbap using tuna packed in tins.

Why You’ll Love Tuna Kimbap

• Healthy and Filling: Tuna Kimbap is packed with protein, vegetables, and spicy rice, making it a great choice for a nutritious and satisfying meal. Perfect for lunch or dinner.
• Easy to Customize: You can easily change the content as per your choice. You can also add avocado, spinach, or kimchi to give it a new twist.
• Portable and Convenient: Kimbap is a great choice for picnics, lunchboxes or on-the-go snacks. After rolling it and cutting it into pieces, it is very easy to pack and carry.

Ingredients

Main

• 1 English or Lebanese cucumber
• 4 eggs
• 3 carrots (320g / 11.3 ounces), julienned
• 2 sheets Korean fish cake (90g / 3.2 ounces), rinsed with hot water & thinly sliced
• 5 cups cooked rice
• 7 yellow radish pickles (danmuji), cut into long strips if you didn’t buy the pre-cut version
• 14 strips seasoned edible burdock root (available at a Korean grocery store)
• 555g / 19.6 ounces canned tuna, drained (3 cans of tuna each weighing 185 grams / 6.5 ounces)
• 1/4 cups mayonnaise
• 7 dried seaweed sheets (gim / sushi nori)
• 7 to 14 perilla leaves (depending on its size, optional), rinsed
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• Cooking oil

Cucumber Seasoning

• 1/2 Tbsp fine sea salt

Egg Seasoning

• 1/8 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 tsp rice wine (mirin)

Fish Cake Seasoning

• 1 Tbsp soy sauce, regular
• 1/2 tsp sugar

Rice Seasoning

• 2 Tbsp sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt

Instructions

1. After removing the seeds from the cucumber, cut it into long strips and keep aside. Place the cucumber on a dish, add half a teaspoon of fine salt to it and mix well. Keep it aside for later.
2. First crack the eggs in a medium sized bowl and beat them lightly. Add fine sea salt and rice wine to the eggs to taste and mix well.
3. When the pan is hot, add some oil into it. Pour a thin layer of beaten eggs into the pan and fry well on medium flame from both sides. Let it cool, then transfer to a plate or cutting board. Repeat this process until all the eggs are fried.
4. Now pour some oil in a hot pan and fry the carrots on medium flame for about two to three minutes. Then take it out on a plate.
5. Clean the pan with kitchen paper, add a little more oil and fry the fish cakes with soy sauce and sugar for about two minutes. Take it out on a plate also.
6. Stack fried eggs together, roll them up and cut into thin slices. Now keep this also in a plate.
7. Mix rice and rice masala in a large bowl. After the rice cools down, keep it aside.
8. Squeeze sliced ​​cucumber, grated red radishes and lightly fresh burdock radishes to release excess moisture and place on plates.
9. Put tuna in a medium sized bowl and add mayonnaise to it and mix well. Keep it aside.
10. Now collect all the ingredients at the “Kimbap Rolling Station” to make it easier to prepare kimbap.
11. Place a dried seaweed sheet on a bamboo mat, with its shiny surface facing down. Take rice the size of a tennis ball and place it on a sheet of seaweed.
12. Then spread it evenly so that it covers the entire surface of the algae, but leave about 5 centimeters (2 inches) of the top empty.
13. Now place the tuna in the center and top with a yellow pickled radish and two burdock strips.
14. If the perilla leaves are too big, cut them in half, if they are small, cut them in half. Then arrange the carrots, asparagus, thin strips of egg and strips of fish cakes.
15. Now start rolling the seaweed and press the material with your hands to roll it. Apply a few drops of water on the part that was left empty so that the roll can close properly.
16. If you wish, you can also put some cooked rice in this place. Shape the roll by gently pressing it with a bamboo mat.
17. Repeat the same process with the remaining rolls.
18. Now place all the kimbap on a cutting board and apply a teaspoon of sesame oil on the surface of the seaweed.
19. Then cut it into small pieces. You can serve this dish with kimchi or yellow pickled radish.

Tips for Making Perfect Tuna Kimbap

• Use Cold Rice: If the rice is hot the seaweed may become soggy. Therefore, let the rice cool until it reaches room temperature before making the kimbap.
• Don’t Overfill: If there is too much filling, the kimbap will be difficult to roll. Use only a thin layer of each ingredient for best results.
• Use a Bamboo Mat: A bamboo rolling mat is essential for safely rolling kimbap into the traditional cylinder shape. This helps give the kimbap the perfect shape.
• Dampen the Knife: When cutting kimbap, it is important to wet the knife occasionally so that the slices are clean and smooth.
• Rolling Technique: It is important to roll the kimbap firmly to protect its ingredients. Roll the ingredients with gentle pressure for a neat presentation, taking care to keep them centered.

Health Benefits of Tuna Kimbap

Omega-3 fatty acids and lean protein are both helpful to the function of the heart, and tuna is an excellent source of both of these nutrients. By including vegetables such as carrots, cucumbers, and pickled radish, this meal is able to incorporate fibre, vitamins, and minerals, so ensuring that it is both well-balanced and healthy. Additionally, the addition of sesame oil to the rice results in the addition of beneficial fats, which can help regulate cholesterol levels and provide an antioxidant boost.

How to Store Kimbap

To fully enjoy your kimbap eating experience, you should eat it the same day you make it, or at the most a day later. To keep the rice from drying out, it should be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container and cut into small pieces just before serving.

This way, you can maintain the fresh taste and quality of the kimbap. When you eat it early, its freshness and flavor are further enhanced, making it a great meal. Keep in mind that keeping it for a long time may cause it to lose its texture and flavor, so it’s best to eat it as quickly as possible.

Conclusion

Tuna kimbap is also known as chamchi kimbap. Being a Korean dish, it is not only delicious, but also high in nutrients. It is very easy to prepare and is suitable for any occasion. This recipe uses delicious tuna, fresh vegetables, and spicy rice, providing a variety of flavors and textures that will satisfy your taste buds. Making kimbap is not only enjoyable, it’s also satisfying, and can be prepared in a variety of ways as a picnic, quick lunch, or snack.

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