Gimmari
김말이·(gim-mah-ree)
Bunsikjip After School: 3 PM Street Snacks
At three in the afternoon outside a cramped hangout with fogged-up windows, the oil hisses, cold air mingling with toasted sesame oil, bubbling tteokbokki, and deep-fried batter. Battered roasted gim stuffed with sweet potato glass noodles is the prize. Instead of stuffing wet noodles into a wrapper, we quickly pan-fry them first. It drives away the moisture that ruins a fry, infusing every noodle with deep flavor. Snip them with heavy metal scissors, serve them hot, and absolutely dip them into spicy tteokbokki sauce.
Before you start
Prepare your workstation.
Dicing your vegetables and slicing your seaweed sheets in advance will make the rolling and frying process swift and completely stress-free.
Ingredients
- dangmyeon3 1/2 oz
- onion1/2 med
- carrot1/4 cup
- scallions2 med
- neutral cooking oil1 tbsp
- soy sauce1 1/2 tbsp
- sugar1/2 tbsp
- toasted sesame oil1 tbsp
- black pepper1/4 tsp
- salt1 pinch
- gimbap gim4 large
- twigim-garu1 1/2 cup
- ice-cold water1 cup
- ice cubes3 small
- neutral oil3 cup
Method
- 01
Boil and rinse the glass noodles.
Boil the sweet potato noodles in a medium pot for exactly six minutes. Drain and rinse them aggressively under cold running water to stop the cooking and wash away the slick surface starch. Use kitchen shears to snip the noodles into two-inch lengths so they are manageable to roll and bite.
- 02
Pan-fry the seasoned noodles.
Heat one tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium. Sauté the onion and carrot for two minutes, then add the scallions and snipped noodles. Immediately pour in the soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, pepper, and salt. Toss continuously for three minutes until the noodles absorb the soy sauce and any excess water in the pan evaporates. Let it cool. This is the grandmother's secret: wet noodles equal exploding seaweed.
- 03
Roll and seal the seaweed cylinders.
Lay a seaweed half-sheet shiny-side down. Spoon two tablespoons of the seasoned noodle mixture in a line along the bottom third. Roll it up tightly like a mini burrito, leaving the ends open. Dab a little water along the top edge to seal it shut. Cut each long roll in half to create bite-sized cylinders.
- 04
Prime the rolls and mix the ice-cold batter.
Sprinkle a half cup of the dry frying mix into a shallow dish and roll the seaweed cylinders in it, tapping off the excess. This primer acts like velcro for the wet batter. In a bowl, briefly whisk the remaining cup of frying mix with the ice-cold water and ice cubes using chopsticks. Do not overmix; it should look like thin pancake batter and lumps are completely fine.
- 05
Execute the double fry.
Heat two inches of neutral oil in a heavy pot to 340°F. Dip the dusted rolls into the wet batter, let the excess drip off, and gently lower them into the oil. Fry in batches for about two minutes until pale golden, then move to a wire rack. Once all are fried, increase the oil heat to 350°F and flash-fry everything a second time for 30 to 45 seconds until deeply golden and shatteringly crisp. Drain on the wire rack and serve immediately.
Notes
Use leftover japchae.
The ultimate zero-waste home hack: if you have cold, leftover japchae in the fridge, skip the boiling and sautéing entirely. Snip the cold noodles, wrap them directly in the seaweed, and fry. It cuts prep time to five minutes.
Check your oil temperature.
Drop a tiny bit of batter into the hot oil. If it sinks halfway and immediately sizzles to the top, it is ready for frying.
From Cook Korean in America.