Vegan Korean Sushi Roll Gimbap

Easy to make Korean sushi roll, gimbap, with only plant-based ingredients using a sushi roll mold from a 100yen shop – a panless recipe!

日本語は、こちらから。

My first encounter with gimbap, Korean sushi roll, was at a field trip in middle school when my Korean friend brought it for lunch. I didn’t know that there was sushi roll in Korea or that it was by far the most common (popular?) dish to pack in lunch box for Koreans!

Although gimbap looks very much like sushi rolls we have here in Japan, the biggest difference is that gimbap doesn’t use sushi rice (rice mixed with vinegar and sugar) and instead uses rice flavored with sesame oil and salt. In Japan, most of the things that we like to put in sushi (except for fish) are sweet (cooked with sugar), so gimbap would be a great dish if you are not a huge fan of sushi (sour) rice or sweet vegetables.

To make gimbap today, I’m going to get some help from this very useful tool I found at a 100 yen shop (a dollar store in Japan). It’s a mold that allows anyone to make perfectly shaped sushi rolls:)

Just like Japanese sushi roll, omelette is an essential ingredient in gimbap. To make a vegan “omelette,” mix 1 small pack of silken tofu, 1 bite size cooked (steamed) kabocha pumpkin and 1/2 tsp shio-koji.

Blend well in a blender or with a hand blender.

Add 1 Tbsp of tapioca starch and mix well. Put the mixture in an microwave safe container and microwave on high for 2 min then chill in the refrigerator.

Cut into strips. Set aside.

Cut 10cm burdock and 1/2 carrot into matchstick sizes. Add 1/2 tsp of sesame oil and 1 tsp shoyu-koji. Mix well and microwave on high for 2 min. Set aside. This would actually be a dish called “kimpira” in Japan.

Cut 1 cucumber in half and remove the seeds. Cut into strips. Set aside.

Cut pickled daikon radish (takuan) into strips. Set aside. You will mostly likely find bright yellow takuan at an Asian store, but that is artificially colored, so if you can, try to find natural colored takuan like the one I’m using here. Also, some takuan is covered with bonito flakes, so read the ingredients carefully before you buy!

Add 1/2 Tbsp sesame oil, 1/4 tsp salt and roasted white sesame seeds as needed to 2 bowls of cooked rice (white or brown). Stir well.

To make the sushi roll, first put about 2/3 of the rice into the mold. Then using a small spatula (or spoon), make a groove in the middle.

Put cucumber, takuan and vegan “omelette” strips in the groove.

Add cooked burdock and carrot on top.

Cover with the remaining rice. Make a dome shape so that the middle is higher than the sides.

Put the other half of the mold and press firmly.

Take 1 sheet of nori seaweed. Place the edge of the “rough” side (as opposed to the “shiny” side) on rice.

Flip and place the nori and rice on the cutting board. Roll the rice onto the nori.

Wet the knife blades and cut the sushi roll into bite size pieces.

This gimbap is not only healthy and delicious but also beautiful to look at:) It’s definitely a great lunch box dish!

Vegan Korean Sushi Roll Gimbap

Servings: 2 rolls

Ingredients:

• Vegan “omelette”
  • 1 small pack silken tofu
  • 1 bite size cooked (steamed) kabocha pumpkin
  • 1/2 tsp shio-koji
  • 1 Tbsp tapioca starch
• Kimpira
  • 10cm burdock
  • 1/2 carrot
  • 1/2 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp shoyu-koji
• 1/2 cucumber
• Pickled daikon radish (takuan)
• Rice
  • 4 bowls of cooked rice (white or brown) (2 bowls per roll)
  • 1 Tbsp of sesame oil (1/2 Tbsp per roll)
  • 1/2 tsp of salt (1/4 tsp of salt per roll)
  • Roasted white sesame seeds – as needed
• 2 sheets of nori seaweed (1 sheet per roll)

Instructions:

1. To make a vegan “omelette,” mix silken tofu, cooked (steamed) kabocha pumpkin and shio-koji. Blend well in a blender or with a hand blender. Add tapioca starch and mix well. Put the mixture in an microwave safe container and microwave on high for 2 min then chill in the refrigerator. Cut into strips. Set aside.
2. To make kimpira, cut burdock and carrot into matchstick sizes. Add sesame oil and shoyu-koji. Mix well and microwave on high for 2 min. Set aside.
3. Cut cucumber in half and remove the seeds. Cut into strips. Set aside.
4. Cut pickled daikon radish (takuan) into strips. Set aside.
5. To prepare the rice, add sesame oil, salt and roasted white sesame seeds as needed to 2 bowls of cooked rice (white or brown). Stir well.
6. To make the sushi roll, first put about 2/3 of the rice into the mold. Then using a small spatula (or spoon), make a groove in the middle.
7. Put cucumber, takuan and vegan “omelette” strips in the groove.
8. Add kimpira on top.
9. Cover with the remaining rice. Make a dome shape so that the middle is higher than the sides.
10. Put the other half the mold and press firmly.
11. Take 1 sheet of nori seaweed. Place the edge of the “rough” side (as opposed to the “shiny” side) on rice.
12. Flip and place the nori and rice on the cutting board. Roll the rice onto the nori.
13. Wet the knife blades and cut the sushi roll into bite size pieces.