Korrito: Korean-Style Burrito (Easy Vegan Lunch)

Ever heard of a Korrito? It’s a kimbap as a burrito. Think Asian burrito. It is a blend of flavours, techniques and ingredients brings together the best fusion has to offer. This is a simple recipe with the option of taking it one step further into the fusion rabbit hole Call it crazy or creative: you can also make this an Indian spiced Korean-style burrito! 

What on earth is a Korrito?

When I first had a ‘Korrito’ here in Hong Kong, I fell in love with it! The concept was created by a Korean fast food shop called K-Roll. Three amazing Korean moms came up with the idea to bring authentic Korean lunches to Hong Kong. The concept was a much lighter version than the traditional Mexican burrito. Seaweed was used as the wrap instead of the flour or corn tortilla, and it was lined with a thin layer of sushi rice. The seaweed wrap is stuffed with any veggies and tofu, then drizzled with a delicious sauce and garnished with crisps. Finally, it was rolled up instead of folded and eaten like a burrito!

How amazing does that sound? I was heartbroken when this cafe shut-down, so I wanted to remake it. I am still finding the three moms who created this idea, so if you happen to know them, please email me.

How I made a Korrito with a desi-twist?

Aloo bhujia is an Indian dry snack made with spices, herbs, boiled potato and chickpea flour. It’s used as a topping for many Indian street dishes as it adds that extra crunch and zing!

I think the whole combination is insanely yum. Who would have ever thought of blending the traditional Kimbap into a burrito, with seaweed, a plant-based sauce and an Indian spiced snack would make a delicious dish! Well, here it is!

What I use to make this Korrito vegan and high protein?

For a higher protein vegan korrito, I use extra firm tofu. This allows the korrito to stay together rather than fall apart, as too many veggies may turn soggy with the sauce. You can also add some tempeh, or seitan for a plant-protein boost. I used soy-based mayo which adds some protein, and you can also fill this with some sprouted mung beans, nutritional yeast or add the sprouted mung beans as a side dish to compliment this.

Sprouted Mung Beans For This Korrito

Adding sprouted mung beans to this korrito is an excellent way to increase the nutritional value and protein content for this recipe. You can either add it in as the filling, or as a side dish.

This a quick and easy way to make my mung bean sprouts:

1. Wash 1/2 cup raw green mung beans until the water comes clear (these beans have travelled far)
2. Add the mung beans to a long rectangular bread baking tin. I use this because of the large surface area. It helps create evenly sprouted lentils
3. Add 1 cup water (room temperature) to the mung beans. Don’t add hot water, it kills the seeds.
4. Cover the baking tin with a large kitchen towel and tighten with a rubber band for it to stay in place.
5. Poke holes evenly through the kitchen towel using a toothpick so it creates the perfect humid environment for the beans to sprout.
6. Leave the tin untouched for 2 days (if you live in a very humid climate, you need to change the water each day to avoid mold and bacteria from growing)
7. On the second day, you should see beautiful sprouts.
8. Clean the sprouts by rinsing and drying it completely
9. Transfer the sprouts into a jar that is lined with a kitchen towel to avoid excess moisture from destroying the sprouts. You store the jar in the fridge for upto a week
10. In order to enjoy these sprouts, you need to blanch them before eating. This kills any unwanted bacteria and falling sick.

So, here it is! Please let me know how you like this. Don’t forget to tag or leave a comment if you happen to like this recipe. Let me know if you want anymore high-protein vegan lunches like this!

Korrito: Korean-Style Burrito

The Veggie Wifey

It's a kimbap as a burrito. Think Asian burrito. It is a blend of flavours, techniques and ingredients that brings together the best fusion has to offer.

5 from 1 vote

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Ingredients

Vegetables

• ▢ Carrots julienned to fill 1/8 of a cup
• ▢ Purple cabbage julienned to fill 1/8 of a cup
• ▢ 3 Long strips of spongy tofu this kind of spongy tofu is called" abura-age"
• ▢ Green lettuce/spinach or any salad leaves (optional) julienned to fill 1/8 of a cup
• ▢ Yellow peppers (optional) julienned to fill 1/8 of a cup
• ▢ Handful of crispy spring roll wrappers that have been deep fried or packet aloo bhujia optional
• ▢ 0.25 cup Mung bean sprouts optional

Rice

• ▢ 0.5 cup of cooked sushi rice, white or brown rice can do too! you can also used bulgur, quinoa, barley or millet for higher-protein options

Seaweed

• ▢ 1 large yakitori seaweed sheet unsalted

Sauce

• ▢ 1 tbsp of vegan mayo
• ▢ 1 tbsp of homemade gojuchang sauce or Sriracha

Instructions

• Mix the sauce ingredients (mayo and gojuchang together) Keep aside
• Place a clean bamboo mat on a wooden chopping board or clean flat surface. Make sure the bamboo lines are horizontal and the smooth side is facing up.
• Place the seaweed sheet over a bamboo sushi mat. You need this to help you roll the Korrito. If you don't have one, you can get it here.
• Layer the white rice on the ¾ of the seaweed sheet. The remaining ¼ has to be on the top edge, rather than the edge closest to you. Ensure it is a 0.5cm thick layer of rice.
• Lightly brush the gojuchang mayo sauce over the rice. You can add more as per your taste.
• Layer the veggies horizontally in the middle of the rice square.
• Stack the strips of tofu in the center, creating a kind of pyramid.
• Sprinkle the crispy spring roll sheets or aloo bhujia over the veggies
• Pour more mayo/gochujang sauce over here as a final touch before rolling (optional, I think what I usually add on the rice is enough) You can add Sriracha here too.
• Please read carefully.

  If you have a lot of filling, gently roll the korrito by lifting the bamboo mat from the bottom edge closest to you, to the opposite top end of the sheet, where the rice layer ends. In one turn, hold it together, and gently press the cylinder shape to secure it. Then, continue the roll by pulling the bamboo mat away from you again, over the ¼ of the remaining seaweed sheet to lock everything in place at the end of the roll. Press firm to secure everything and then you can open up the mat to see the result. If you don't have a lot of filling, you can roll the edge halfway to cover the filling, then roll again until the whole korrito is wrapped into a swirl. Then, continue the roll by pulling the bamboo mat away from you again, over the 1/4 of the remaining seaweed sheet to lock everything in place at the end of the roll. Press firm to secure everything and then you can open up the mat to see the result.
• Place the roll on the center of the chopping board and slice diagonally with a very sharp knife. Make sure the knife is dry too, any moisture will melt the seaweed, causing it to deflate your roll.
• Serve with the remaining sauce or your sprouted mung beans! Enjoy!

Notes

How to make clean gochujang at home: 

• 2 tbsps rice flour
• 0.5 cups water
• 2 tbsps soy sauce or coconut aminos
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar (make sure it has no added sugar)
• 1 tbsp agave
• 1 tbsp organic miso paste 
• 100g gochu-garu (Korean red pepper flakes)
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp red chilli powder (2 if you want)

To make this:

1. Combine the rice flour and water in a small flying pan over low heat
2. Once the mixture is thick take it off the heat and place it in a medium sized mixing bowl
3. Stir in all the remaining ingredients 
4. Pour it in a glass jar to store in the fridge for up to 3 months

 

Nutrition

Calories: 385kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 22gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 474mgPotassium: 360mgFiber: 5gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 2924IUVitamin C: 73mgCalcium: 307mgIron: 4mg

Calories: 385kcal

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