Kimari, or gimmari, are crispy, lightly seasoned, deep-fried seaweed rolls. They’re popular at street stalls in South Korea, either as an on-the-go snack or a restaurant side dish.
With our simple gimmari recipe, recreating this beloved Korean street food is a breeze. Plus, it’s vegetarian-friendly, making it a versatile option for everyone.
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What Is Kimari?
Kimari (gimmari or gimmari) is a popular Korean snack found in street stalls and night markets. It consists of seasoned glass noodles wrapped in seaweed, coated in a light batter, and deep-fried until golden brown.
It can be served on its own or with any gimmari sauce. These deep-fried seaweed rolls are a typical street food, like Korean corn dogs.
Ingredients
The key ingredients in our gimmari recipe are nori seaweed sheets and Korean glass noodles.
The noodles are coated in a sauce that makes a simplified version of japchae, a Korean noodle dish. It usually includes the addition of various vegetables like carrots and spinach. Therefore, kimari makes it possible to enjoy this sit-down noodle dish in bite-size portions.
Gimmari (Korean Fried Seaweed Roll Kimari)
Ingredients
- 2 sheets nori sheets
- 50 g glass noodles
- ½ carrot medium, julienned
- 3 stalks garlic chives chopped to 1 inch
- 2 cup vegetable oil for deep frying
Gimmari Sauce
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Kimari Batter
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup potato starch or cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup water 120ml
Cooking Instructions
- Begin by soaking or boiling the glass noodles according to the package instructions. Then, drain the water and cut into finger-length pieces using scissors.
- Next, add 1 tablespoon of oil to a pan and heat it up under medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the noodles, julienned carrots and chopped chives. Stir fry for a 1 minute before seasoning them with soy sauce, salt, sesame oil, and black pepper. Stir fry for 2 to 3 minutes or until the noodles and vegetables are well-cooked and coated in the sauce. Let it cool for a few minutes after cooking.
- Place a small amount of the noodle and vegetable mixture onto the nori seaweed sheet, arranging it into a row before rolling it. Brush some water on the edge of the nori sheet to allow it to stick as you seal it. Cut them into smaller bite-size pieces. We usually cut it into 4 pieces.
- Combine all the batter ingredients in a separate bowl. Using chopsticks or tongs, gently coat your seaweed roll with the batter.
- Prepare the oil by heating it up to 170°C (or 340°F) in a pot. The rolls will float when frying, so the top exposed part of the gimmari may not be as crispy if left alone. So use chopsticks or tongs to flip them around or hold them under the oil for a while to ensure all sides are fried nicely.
- Serve the kimari hot on its own, with a sweet spicy dipping sauce or as an accompaniment to tteokbokki.
Recipe Notes
- You can substitute the chives for spring onions. For spring onions, cut them into 1-inch lengths, then slice them until they become thin slices.
- Glass noodles are also sometimes called sweet potato starch noodles or dangmyeon.
- To make sure the noodles do not stick to one another, do not rinse them after boiling.
- To make the rolling of the noodles easier, let the noodles cool down after cooking. By doing this, the noodles will harden slightly and make it easier to roll.
- We like to eat these fried seaweed rolls with a sweet and spicy gimmari dipping sauce. To make a quick dipping sauce, combine 1 teaspoon of Gochujang (Korean red pepper paste), 1 teaspoon of light soy, 2 teaspoon of honey and 2 teaspoon of mayonnaise.
Nutrition
Calories have been calculated using an online calculator. Nutritional information offered on Honest Food Talks is for general information purposes and is only a rough estimate.
Air Fryer Version
If you prefer, you can also prepare gimari using an air fryer. This would remove the need to prepare a large amount of oil in a pan for deep frying. To achieve this, do the following.
- Line your air fryer tray with parchment paper. If not using parchment paper, oil your air fryer basket to prevent sticking.
- Batter your nori seaweed spring rolls and place them into the air fryer basket. Drizzle oil on top of your rolls, or use an oil spray for an even coat.
- Then, air fry your rolls at about 200°C (or 390°F ) for 5 minutes or until golden brown.
- Turn the kimari pieces over and air fry for another 5 minutes.
- Serve immediately.
Storing Tips
Gimmari is best consumed immediately after cooking. However, gimmari can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days. In addition, we recommend wrapping the fried seaweed rolls in plastic wrap and storing them in an air-tight container. Reheat the fried rolls in the air fryer with a drizzle of oil or fry once more for crispiness.
How Do You Cook Frozen Seaweed Rolls?
With air fryers becoming a staple tool in kitchens, kimari can easily be prepared using one. However, they can also be prepared by frying in cooking oil until golden brown.
Those looking for another option can also prepare them in an oven. Lay the frozen gimmari on a parchment-lined tray and bake for 10-12 minutes at 375°F (about 190°C).
However, follow the instructions on the package for pre-packed frozen Korean deep-fried seaweed spring rolls.
How Do You Eat Gimari?
Gimari can be eaten on its own or with your favourite dipping sauce of choice. But, Koreans will most commonly eat this with tteokbokki, a spicy rice cake dish. For a milder tteokbokki dish, try making our cheese tteokbokki or rose tteokbokki recipe.
Locals usually eat Korean deep-fried seaweed spring rolls by hand or using chopsticks. As gimmari is relatively mess-free and easy to eat on the go, they are popular street stalls in Seoul.
What Do You Eat With Gimmari?
Tteokbokki is usually eaten with gimmari. Tteokbokki is a quintessential dish that is found in snack bars, fast food restaurants, and street stalls throughout South Korea. The convenience and inexpensive cost of tteokbokki make the dish extremely popular among students and tourists.
Kimari and tteokbokki are often eaten together to complement the chewy texture of the spicy rice cake. This is because gimmari provides an addicting crunch that is savoury and satisfying. Meanwhile, tteokbokki is often packed with noodles (to make rabokki), luncheon meat, sausages, and boiled eggs.
Tteokbokki is often served with battered and deep-fried foods called twigim. Twigim consists of various tempura-battered vegetables, dumplings, squid, shrimp, and, of course, kimari. The tteokbokki and gimari are dipped into the sauce, which makes the perfect combination of sweet, salty, and spicy.
While you are cooking up your seaweed spring rolls, make yourself a batch of fried seaweed chips. This is another treat that can be made with nori seaweed. Simply cut your nori sheets into bite-size pieces and batter them. Then, fry until golden brown.
Fried seaweed chips are a simple snack that you can make in a few minutes.
Gimari Calories
Each Korean deep-fried seaweed spring roll is approximately 50 calories per piece. Our gimmari recipe makes 8 roll pieces.
Did you try making your own grammar at home? Take a picture and share it with us on Instagram @honestfoodtalks. We would love to see your delicious rolls.
Baldie
Wow so great so you can make it using air fryer