From Korean convenience stores to your lunch box: this cheap and easy recipe makes the perfect snack for anyone short on time.
What is Triangle Kimbap?
Many convenience stores all throughout Asia carry their own versions of this, which is also referred to as ‘onigiri‘. This specific version is labeled as ‘Triangle Kimbap’ since the assembling kit stems from Korea.
Where to Find Triangle Kimbap Kits
I purchased mine at my local Korean grocery store. Most Korean markets are likely to carry these kits, but the same exact version is available online at Amazon as well.
I did notice that ordering one online is a bit more expensive, but each kit makes 50 sheets and comes with the onigiri (rice ball) triangle mold.
What If You Don’t Have a Kit?
You can DIY the wrapped seaweed sheets and form the rice balls using your hands!
To make the wrapped seaweed sheet, cut a full sheet of nori seaweed in half. Use a piece of foil to wrap the seaweed with a long piece of tape to secure it.
Ochikeron has a great tutorial on YouTube on how to do so linked here. She details how to form the rice balls without using a mold and explains how to make your own pre-wrapped seaweed sheets beginning at 1:40.
How to Make it
Begin by preparing your filling using tuna, gochujang, brown sugar, and garlic. Drain the tuna and mix together the marinade ingredients in a bowl. Add the tuna to the marinade and mix until everything is combined.
Heat about 1 Tbsp of oil in a pan over medium heat and add the tuna mixture. Create a flat layer of the filling to maximize crispiness. Cook for about 3-7 minutes until the tuna turns a nice brown color and crisp texture.
Once crisped add sesame oil and sesame seeds and mix together. Remove from heat.
Next, begin assembling the rice and fillings into the mold. Lay one wrapped seaweed sheet faced down. In the kit I used, there are images denoting which side of the packaging is the front vs back. You want the blank side of the packaging facing up.
Place the triangle mold over the upper half of the sheet. Add a few tablespoons of rice to form the first layer.
Add about 2-4 tbsp of the filling, but feel free to add as much as you like. Note that overfilling may cause some of the tuna to leak out.
Top with another layer of rice and press down using the top of the mold.
Now begin wrapping by folding the lower half of the seaweed sheet over the rice ball. Proceed to fold the corners of the top sheet and then bottom sheet. Secure with stickers. Wrapping can be a little confusing but the kit contains detailed instructions on how to do so.
Spicy Tuna Triangle Kimbap
Equipment
- 1 Triangle Kimbap Kit
Ingredients
- 1.5 cup cooked white rice
- 1 tbsp gochujang
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 can canned tuna
- ½ tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- 1 tsp cooking oil
Instructions
Prepare the Filling
- Mince 1 Tbsp garlic
- Mix together gochujang, garlic, and brown sugar
- Drain tuna and add to marinade. Mix until well combined
- Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add marinated tuna and allow to slightly crisp evenly (3-7 minutes).
- Once crisped, add sesame oil and sesame seeds. Mix together and remove from heat.
Assembling the Triangle Kimbap
- Lay down one sheet of wrapped seaweed – faced down. Place triangle mold on the upper half of sheet
- Add a layer of rice
- Add filling
- Top with another layer of rice
- Press down and carefully remove the mold
- Fold the lower half of the sheet over the rice. Fold the corners of the top piece of seaweed then fold the bottom corners. Place a sticker to secure.
To Unwrap and Eat!
- Follow the instructions on the seaweed wrapping in order of number (1, 2, 3). Begin by pulling the tab marked 1, then remove both sides of the plastic wrapping sequentially marked 2 and 3.
