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How to Make Mini Gimbap — Korean Drama Mini Kimbap with Soy Mustard Dipping Sauce

Four vegetable gimbap rolls on a white dish over a striped towel on a rustic wooden table, with sauce and sliced rolls in the background.

Time: 30–35 minutes Yield: 20–24 mini rolls

To make mini gimbap, season warm rice with sesame oil, salt, and sesame seeds; blanch spinach, sauté carrot, and slice danmuji (pickled radish). Spread rice on quartered nori, add fillings, roll tight, brush with sesame oil, and serve with a simple soy-mustard-vinegar sauce.

Looking for a bite-size kimbap that packs neatly into lunch boxes and disappears at picnics? Mini gimbap uses the classic trio—carrot, spinach, danmuji—rolled in quarter sheets of seaweed. This version includes a quick mustard dipping sauce that makes the rolls addictive without being overly salty.


Bite-size Korean kimbap piled on a white plate over a striped towel, wooden tabletop, and a sauce ramekin nearby.

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Mini Gimbap Ingredients

  • Gimbap nori sheets 4, quartered

  • Carrot 1 large, finely julienned

  • Spinach ~½ bunch (about 150 g), trimmed

  • Pickled radish (danmuji) 6 long sticks, cut into thin strips

  • Burdock (ueong) a little, optional

  • Cooked short-grain rice 3 cups (about 450 g), warm

  • Sesame oil, toasted sesame seeds, salt


Rice seasoning: sesame oil 1 Tbsp (15 ml); crushed sesame seeds ½ Tbsp (7 g); salt ½ tsp

Mustard dipping sauce (겨자소스): soy sauce 1 Tbsp; water 1 Tbsp; prepared mustard 1 tsp; allulose/oligosaccharide (or sugar) 1 tsp; vinegar 1 tsp


OTOKI Prepared Mustard Tube 3.52 OZ (100g)
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Small white ramekin of dark dipping sauce with a metal measuring spoon, on a warm wooden tabletop.


Steps

  1. Carrot: Heat a little oil in a skillet. Add carrot, a pinch of salt, and stir-fry until just tender.

    Julienned carrots sizzling in a nonstick pan on a cooktop as a hand sprinkles salt, steam rising, warm wooden kitchen setting.

  2. Spinach: Blanch briefly in salted boiling water. Rinse cold, squeeze dry, and season with a few drops of sesame oil and a pinch of salt.

    Top-down of a white tray on a wooden table holding burdock, yellow pickled radish, seasoned spinach, and julienned carrots.

  3. Rice & sauce: While rice is warm, mix in sesame oil, crushed sesame seeds, and salt. In a small bowl, whisk the mustard dipping sauce.

    Glass bowl of sesame-studded sushi rice with a white rice paddle, photographed top-down on a rustic wooden table.
CJ Roasted Laver (GIM) Gimbap 0.71 oz (20 g)
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  1. Two neatly cut nori squares on parchment over a wooden cutting board, top-down, warm kitchen tones.
    Square nori sheet partially spread with even layer of sushi rice beside a plain nori square, on parchment and wooden board.

  2. Roll: Spread a thin, even layer of seasoned rice on each nori quarter. Top with spinach, carrot, danmuji (and optional burdock). Roll tightly, seam-side down. Brush the outside with a little sesame oil and sprinkle sesame seeds. Serve with the mustard sauce.

    Partially assembled gimbap: rice topped with spinach, carrot, and pickled radish on nori; stack of nori sheets alongside on board.
    Twelve glossy gimbap rolls sprinkled with sesame seeds, neatly lined on parchment over a wooden cutting board.

Bibigo Sesame Oil 16.9 fl oz (500ml)
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Why It Works

Warm rice absorbs seasoning; thin veggie strips roll neatly; the sweet-tangy mustard balances savory flavors without making the rolls too salty.

Stacked gimbap rolls on a white handled plate over a striped towel on a wooden table, with sauce cup and sliced rolls in soft focus.
Chopsticks dipping a gimbap piece into a white ramekin of sauce on a wooden table; striped cloth and sliced rolls behind.

Make It Yours

  • Protein: add thin omelet strips or pan-fried tofu.

  • Spicy: mix ½ tsp gochujang into the dipping sauce.

  • No burdock? Skip it—the basics still shine.


No-Waste Move

Save spinach stems and carrot ends for veggie stock. Extra mustard sauce keeps 3–4 days refrigerated.


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FAQs

Can I use sushi rice? Yes—use short-grain rice, slightly warm for easier spreading.

How do I keep nori from getting soggy? Use a thin rice layer and serve within a few hours; pack sauce separately.

Make ahead? Roll, brush with sesame oil, and wrap tightly; refrigerate up to overnight.


Notes

  • Yield varies with how thinly you spread the rice.

  • If using full-size danmuji sticks, split lengthwise first, then cut into 2–3 thin batons per stick.

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