Korean Banchan: Egg Rollups

You wanted more Korean food?  Here you go.  We'll start small and simple with one of the easiest banchans to make.  This is the kind of banchan your mom would put in your picnic lunch (do si rak) when you go on a field trip.  I like making it because it is really easy but very cute.

A little about banchan, in case you wanna know more.  Banchan are side dishes that are always eaten with rice.  If you go to a Korean BBQ restaurant and order bulgogi or kalbi, you will automatically get a bowl of rice and get various little side dishes (sometimes as many as in the 20s if you go to a very fancy restaurant).  A common one most people seem to know is kimchi, spicy pickled napa cabbage.

These egg rollups are just one of those banchans.  You would never just give someone a bowl of rice and nothing to eat with it, not even if you're in prison. 

Ingredients (for maybe 2 people):
-3 whole eggs + 1 egg white
-S&P
-1 stalk green onion, finely chopped
-2 tbsp carrots, finely chopped or grated

1. Crack the eggs into a small mixing bowl.

2.  Add some salt n' pepper (a dash each?).
3.  Take some scissors and snip in the green onion.

4.  Grate your carrots into the mix too.  The smallest holes on the grater should do it.

5.  Bring a large CLEAN and well-sprayed pan to medium-high heat.

6.  Pour the egg mixture into the pan and allow to spread all the way out.

7.  Once the egg is almost cooked through, start rolling the sheet of egg little by little.

Rolling rolling...

Slow and steady, guys.  No need to rush.

Towards the end, you might need to scoot the whole thing back so that the large diameter of the log doesn't get smushed up on the narrowing arc of the pan.

8.  Remove from heat.  Slice off the reject ends, then slice the middle sections nice and evenly into 1/2" blocks.

When you turn them, they look like this.  Isn't that pretty, with the green and orange from the veggies?

And because East Asians are obsessed with aesthetics, you have to plate it real nicely like this.  Haha just kidding.  But plating banchan is like, a whole 'nother subset of skills. 

Serve hot, lukewarm, or even cold.  They're yummy at any temperature.

Yummy.  I like making this as banchan because i almost always have the ingredients on hand.

Next time you make bulgogi, try serving these as banchan on the side.  Enjoy!  And TGIF!!!!

For a printable version of this recipe, please click here.