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A triangular samgak kimbap rice ball wrapped in seaweed, the Korean convenience-store snack

Samgak Kimbap

A samgak kimbap recipe for the convenience-store triangle rice ball, plus the packaging trick that keeps the seaweed crisp until the second you open it.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Snack
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 400 g / 2 cups cooked short-grain rice, warm
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame oil and 1/2 tsp fine salt, for the rice
  • 1 can (150 g / 5 oz) tuna, drained
  • 2 tbsp mayonnaise
  • 1 tsp gochujang Substitute: 1/2 tsp sriracha — thinner and sharper, less sweet
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • 1 scallion, finely chopped
  • 2 sheets gim / roasted seaweed, cut into rectangles slightly larger than the rice balls Substitute: sushi nori, cut the same way
  • Sesame seeds, for the rice surface

Method
 

  1. Season the warm rice with the sesame oil and salt, folding it through gently, and let it cool until just warm rather than hot.
  2. Mix the drained tuna with mayonnaise, gochujang, sugar and the chopped scallion until evenly combined.
  3. Lay a large sheet of plastic wrap over your palm and press a thin layer of rice, about 40 g, into a rough circle.
  4. Spoon a scant tablespoon of the tuna mixture into the center.
  5. Add another 40 g of rice on top, fully enclosing the filling.
  6. Gather the plastic wrap around the rice and shape it into a triangle by pressing three flat sides with your fingers and the heel of your hand, rotating as you go.
  7. Unwrap and press a rectangle of seaweed onto one face of the triangle, or wrap it fully around like a belt if you're eating it right away.
  8. Scatter sesame seeds over any bare rice surface and repeat with the remaining rice and filling.