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Gim bugak
Crisp fried seaweed
Gim bugak (김부각): crisp fried laver with sticky rice paste
Gim bugak is a temple snack that Buddhist nuns and village cooks in South Jeolla, especially around Damyang and Namwon, still make in large batches in autumn: sheets of laver are painted with glutinous rice porridge, scattered with sesame, dried in the sun and fried until they puff into crackling, savoury chips. It is eaten as a banchan with rice or as a snack with tea. The common mistake is frying it before it is completely dry; any damp patches stay chewy and spit in the oil. Chef's tip: cut the dried sheets with scissors before frying; once fried they shatter if you try to cut them.
- Total time
- 180 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 10 laver (gim) sheetsunseasoned
- 4 tbsp glutinous rice flour
- 1 ¼ cups water
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- ¼ tsp salt
- 3 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- 2 cups neutral oilfor frying
- 1 tsp sugar (optional)
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Whisk 4 tbsp glutinous rice flour into 1 ¼ cups water in a small pan until smooth. Cook over a medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens into a glossy, translucent porridge.
5 minStep 3: Lay a sheet of 10 laver (gim) sheets rough side up on a tray lined with baking paper. Brush half of it thinly with porridge, fold the other half over and brush the top.
Step 4: Scatter 3 tbsp toasted sesame seeds over the top and repeat with the rest of the sheets.
Step 5: Dry the sheets until completely crisp and brittle: either outdoors in the sun and breeze for a day, or in the oven at its lowest setting (60–158°F) with the door slightly open, turning once.
150 minStep 6: Snip the dry sheets with scissors into 5 cm squares.
Step 7: Heat 2 cups neutral oil in a deep pan to 350°F. Fry a few pieces at a time for 3–5 seconds, until they puff and turn white-speckled; they burn quickly, so lift them out almost at once.
5 minStep 8: Drain on kitchen paper, sprinkle with 1 tsp sugar, if you like, and cool. Keep airtight for up to a week.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 110 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 9 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does gim bugak take?
- About 180 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 150 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of soy sauce?
- Tamari, same amount (gluten free).
- What can I use instead of toasted sesame seeds?
- Poppy seeds or finely chopped pumpkin seeds, same amount.
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