Rice Dishes

Jumeokbap (Korean Rice Balls)

Name: Jumeokbap (Korean Rice Balls)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 2 servings (6 rice balls)
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients: cooked rice 1½ rice bowls (about 300 g); roasted seaweed sheets (gim) 2; toasted sesame oil 1 Tbsp; salt 1/3 tsp; ground toasted sesame seeds a pinch; canned tuna (optional) 1/2 can

Mix warm rice with sesame oil and salt, shape it into balls, and wrap them in roasted seaweed. If using a filling, put it in the center and cover it with rice as you shape.

Prep 10 min · Cook 5 min · Total 15 min · 2 servings (6 rice balls) · Easy

한국어로 보기 (Korean version)

Steps

1
Mix the sesame oil, salt, and ground sesame seeds into the warm rice and let it cool slightly.
If it's too hot, it can burn your hands and make the seaweed soggy.
2
Cut the seaweed into bite-size pieces.
3
Wet your hands, divide the rice, and squeeze each portion into a ball. If using a filling like tuna, put it in the center and cover it with rice as you shape.
Squeezing too hard mashes the grains.
4
Wrap the seaweed around the rice balls, or serve them on a plate with the seaweed alongside.

Substitutions

Instead of	Use	How
tuna	2 Tbsp finely chopped kimchi	Squeeze the liquid out of the kimchi before adding it.
roasted seaweed	crumbled roasted seaweed (gim flakes)	You can simply roll the outside in seaweed flakes.

Storing leftovers

Rice hardens in the refrigerator, so it's best to eat them the day they're made. Wrap leftovers in plastic wrap, refrigerate, and eat the same day — cold, or microwaved for 20–30 seconds to soften the rice. Freezing makes the seaweed soggy, so don't freeze them.

Serve with

Doenjang-guk (soybean paste soup), namul (seasoned vegetables), and gyeran-mari (rolled omelet). Great for lunch boxes and picnics.

Making more or less

Adjust the number of rice balls to the amount of rice.

Before you cook

If the filling is fish or meat, don't leave the rice balls at room temperature for long.

Questions

How do I shape jumeokbap without the rice sticking to my hands?

Lightly wetting your hands with water or sesame oil keeps the grains from sticking. Very hot rice is extra sticky and clings to your hands, so let it cool a bit first; on the other hand, completely cold rice doesn't hold together well, so shape it while it's lukewarm.