Ttaengcho gimbap (spicy pepper gimbap) from Jinju

Ttaengcho gimbap is the gimbap Jinju is famous for, and it's so much less work than regular gimbap. No lining up eight fillings. You chop everything tiny, stir-fry it with a salty-sweet sauce, mix it straight into the rice and roll. 땡초 (ttaengcho) is what people in Gyeongsang-do call really hot green peppers, so yes, it bites back 🌶️

For 2 rolls: Cheongyang peppers 10–12 Carrot 1/4 Fish cake (eomuk) 2 sheets Cooked rice 2 bowls Gim (gimbap seaweed) 2 sheets Sesame oil 1 tbsp, sesame seeds a pinch, a little cooking oil Mayo 2 tbsp, for dipping Sauce: oyster sauce 1 tbsp, soy sauce 1 tbsp, minced garlic 1/2 tbsp, oligodang or corn syrup 1/2 tbsp, mirim 1/2 tbsp 1. Finely chop the carrot. Halve the peppers lengthwise, scrape out the seeds, then chop them small. Chop the fish cake too. A food processor makes this 2 minutes of work. 2. Mix the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. 3. Heat a little oil, stir-fry the carrot first, then add the fish cake and peppers. Pour in the sauce and cook until it's absorbed and glossy. 4. Mix the filling into the rice with the sesame oil and sesame seeds. 5. Spread it on the gim and roll tight. Slice into bite-size pieces, or make small kkoma (mini) rolls. Tip from people who've made it: the rice gets less sticky once it's mixed with the filling, so use a bit less per roll or it splits. Some add chopped shiitake or minced pork, and both sound great. The mayo dip is not optional in my house, it's the only thing keeping me alive after roll number two 😅