Korean · Authentic-ish Korean
Gim Gui
22 kcal a serving, against 39 for the traditional version. That is 17 kcal off, or 44%, with 0.9g of protein. Serves 8. 20 minutes active.
What the traditional version is
Dried laver sheets (gim) are brushed generously with toasted sesame oil, scattered with salt (sometimes a pinch of sugar too), then toasted quickly over a naked gas flame or under a grill until crisp and crackling. Served cut into rectangles alongside rice and banchan. At its finest, the gim is barely holding together under its coat of oil, salty, nutty and shattering at the first touch.
What changed, and what each change costs
Brush half as much sesame oil - 2g instead of 4g per sheet
Sesame oil tastes glorious but it's where almost all the calories in gim gui come from. Using less oil means you still get that hit of toasted sesame without turning each sheet translucent.
What it costs you. You lose some of the deep golden colour and the seaweed feels lighter and less rich. No one will call this diet food, but the sheets are less melt-in-your-mouth. Basically, it's a bit less 'wow'. If you really want the classic glossy snap, use the full oil and don't think twice.
Skip any extra oil for dipping
Some serve gim gui with a little dish of sesame oil and salt for dipping. I've binned that.
What it costs you. Let's be honest, almost no one in Britain does this anyway. It's a tiny sacrifice, unless you really love drinking oil with your seaweed.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 39 | 22 |
| Protein | 0.9g | 0.9g |
| Fat | 4g | 2g |
| Saturated fat | 0.6g | 0.3g |
| Carbohydrate | 0g | 0g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 2.3g | 4.2g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Korean prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. sesame.
The method is in the book
This is the first Korean banchan I ever made and still one of the quickest. Here, cutting calories just means brushing with a lighter hand. It isn't as shattering and lush as the originals you get in Seoul, but if you're trying to make room for a couple more side dishes, this is a good place to pinch back. Just don't invite anyone who'll cry over missing oil.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Korean, along with 51 more. It is not out yet. The swap kit is free in the meantime.