AI-generated image
Gimmari
Fried seaweed glass noodle rolls
김말이: seasoned glass noodles rolled in seaweed, battered and fried until shatteringly crisp
Gimmari, literally "seaweed rolls", sit in a golden heap on every bunsik stall in Seoul, from the snack alleys of Mangwon Market to the carts outside schools at four o'clock. Seasoned sweet-potato glass noodles are rolled tightly in sheets of gim, dipped in a thin batter and fried, and most people ask for them to be cut up and dunked straight into the stall's sweet-spicy tteokbokki sauce. The outside crackles; the noodles inside stay soft and savoury. Chef's tip: season the noodles boldly; the seaweed and batter mute them.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the filling
- 2 ⅛ oz carrotfinely chopped
- 1 oz garlic chives or spring onionfinely chopped
- 1 ½ tbsp soy sauce
- ½ tsp sugar
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- ¼ tsp black pepper
For rolling and frying
- 4 gim (roasted seaweed sheets)cut in half
- 2 tbsp plain flourfor dusting
- 2 ⅛ oz plain flour
- 1 ⅜ oz potato starch
- ½ cup ice-cold water
- 4 ¼ cups vegetable oilfor deep-frying
To serve
- ½ cup tteokbokki sauce or gochujang dip (optional)
Shop this recipe on Amazon
What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (2)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Boil 3 ½ oz dangmyeon (sweet potato glass noodles) for 6 minutes, until soft and chewy, then rinse in cold water, drain well and cut into 10 cm lengths with scissors.
8 minStep 2: Toss the noodles with 2 ⅛ oz carrot, 1 oz garlic chives or spring onion, 1 ½ tbsp soy sauce, ½ tsp sugar, 1 tsp sesame oil and ¼ tsp black pepper.
2 minStep 3: Lay a half sheet of 4 gim (roasted seaweed sheets) shiny side down, put an eighth of the noodles along the long edge and roll up tightly. Dab the end with water to seal. Repeat to make 8.
8 minStep 4: Whisk 2 ⅛ oz plain flour, 1 ⅜ oz potato starch and ½ cup ice-cold water into a thin batter. Roll each gimmari in 2 tbsp plain flour, then dip it in the batter.
3 minStep 5: Pour 4 ¼ cups vegetable oil into a deep, heavy pan or wok so it comes no more than a third of the way up the sides, and heat it to 350°F. Use a thermometer, or test with a cube of bread: it should brown in about 60 seconds. Never leave the hot oil unattended.
5 minStep 6: Fry 3 or 4 rolls at a time for 3 minutes, turning, until the batter is pale gold and crisp. Common mistake: rolling too loosely; the noodles slip out in the oil.
9 minStep 7: For extra crunch, fry them all again for 1 minute. Drain on kitchen paper, cut in half and serve hot with ½ cup tteokbokki sauce or gochujang dip.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 250 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 40 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does gimmari take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 20 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 vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of carrot?
- Parsnip or sweet potato, same weight.
- What can I use instead of garlic chives or spring onion?
- Chives, or a little finely sliced onion.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
SakarpadaSweet fried dough diamonds
Sakarpada (shakarpara) are little sweet diamonds of a rich dough made with ghee, milk and sugar, fried until golden and crunchy. They are a Diwali favourite with tea, and the cubes go into bhusu too. They keep for weeks in an air-tight tin.
Indian
Yaki onigiriGrilled rice balls
Yaki onigiri (焼きおにぎり) are rice balls grilled until they form a crisp, toasty crust, then brushed with soy sauce glaze. They are eaten all over Japan, at izakaya, at barbecues and from the freezer section, as a snack or with miso soup. The inside stays soft and steamy while the outside crackles. Best eaten hot, straight from the pan. Chef's tip: let the shaped rice balls dry for 10 minutes before they go in the pan. A drier surface forms a better crust and won't stick, and the glaze goes on only at the end so it doesn't burn.
Japanese
Taiwanese grilled corn
At Raohe and Shilin night markets the grilled-corn stalls are easy to find: look for the queue and the smoky, sweet smell. Cobs are par-cooked, then turned slowly over charcoal while the cook brushes them with a dark glaze of sacha sauce, thick soy paste, garlic and chilli, layer after layer, until the kernels are sticky, slightly charred and deeply savoury. It is eaten hot from a paper sleeve while walking the market. Sacha (shacha) sauce, a Taiwanese barbecue paste, usually contains dried fish and shrimp; vegetarian sacha is sold in Asian shops. Contains soy, wheat and fish. Chef's tip: brush thin coats and turn often; one thick coat burns before the corn chars.
Taiwanese