Korean rice rolls (Kimbap)

1. Rinse the rice until the water runs clear, then cook covered with the 480 ml of water for 12 minutes and leave to rest for 10 minutes; while still warm, mix with the sesame oil, salt and sesame seeds.

2. Cut the beef into thin strips, mix with the soy sauce and sugar and stir-fry in a little oil for 3 minutes.

3. Beat the eggs with salt, cook a thin omelette and cut it into finger-wide strips; blanch the spinach for 30 seconds, squeeze dry and season with salt and sesame oil; cut the carrot into matchsticks and stir-fry in a little oil for 1 minute.

4. Place a nori sheet shiny side down on a bamboo mat, spread a fifth of the rice thinly over it, leaving the top 3 cm free, and lay the beef, egg, spinach, carrot, a strip of danmuji and a surimi stick in a row on the lower third.

5. Roll up tightly using the mat and seal the end with a little rice; make the other rolls the same way.

6. Brush the tops of the rolls with sesame oil and cut into 1.5 cm slices with a wet, sharp knife; serve at room temperature.

Tip: Kimbap is the favourite of Korean picnics and lunch boxes – unlike Japanese sushi, the rice is seasoned with sesame oil, not vinegar, and the fillings are cooked or fried. Danmuji (yellow pickled radish) gives the characteristic crunchy, sweet-sour taste; if you can't find it, use strips of pickled cucumber instead.