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Chungmu gimbap
Chungmu gimbap (충무김밥): Tongyeong finger rice rolls with spicy squid and radish kimchi
In the harbour town of Tongyeong (once called Chungmu), fishermen's wives made plain rice rolls in laver with the spicy side dishes packed separately, because filled gimbap spoiled in the heat of the boats. Today Chungmu gimbap is a lunchbox and road-trip classic all over Korea: finger-sized rolls eaten with a toothpick, sweet-spicy squid and fish cake, and crunchy radish kimchi. The common mistake is overcooking the squid, which goes rubbery; blanch it just until it turns white and curls. Chef's tip: brush the gim lightly with sesame oil before rolling, which keeps it from going chewy.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the rolls
- 1 ⅓ lb cooked short-grain ricewarm
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- ½ tsp salt
- 4 gim (laver sheets)each cut into 4 rectangles
For the squid and fish cake
- 10 ½ oz cleaned squidcut into bite-sized pieces
- 5 ½ oz Korean fish cake (eomuk)cut into strips
- 2 tbsp gochugaru
- 2 garlic clovesminced
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp rice syrup or honey
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
For the radish kimchi
- 10 ½ oz Korean radish or daikoncut into thin wedges
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp gochugaru
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Toss 10 ½ oz Korean radish or daikon with 1 tsp salt and leave for 20 minutes. Drain, pat dry and mix with 1 tbsp gochugaru, 1 tbsp fish sauce and 1 tsp sugar.
Step 2: Blanch 10 ½ oz cleaned squid in boiling water for 40–60 seconds, until opaque white and curled. Drain and cool. Pour boiling water over 5 ½ oz Korean fish cake (eomuk) and drain.
1 minStep 3: Mix 2 tbsp gochugaru, 2 garlic cloves, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp rice syrup or honey and 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds, then toss with the squid and fish cake until coated.
Step 4: Season 1 ⅓ lb cooked short-grain rice with 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil and ½ tsp salt.
Step 5: Lay a piece of 4 gim (laver sheets) shiny side down, spread a thin line of rice along one long edge and roll tightly into a finger-sized roll. Repeat.
Step 6: Pack the rolls with the squid, fish cake and radish kimchi in separate compartments. Keep cool and eat the same day.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 470 kcal
- Protein
- 24 g
- Carbs
- 74 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chungmu gimbap take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of cooked short-grain rice?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of toasted sesame oil?
- Toasted sesame seeds ground with a little vegetable oil.
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