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9 min
22/01/2026
Desis have been at it for decades with their incessant love for wrapping food – parathas, frankies, stuffed dosas, so kimbap just makes sense. It's like the Korean cousin of your favourite local stall’s roll, except the wrapper is seaweed and the fillings can be anything. Swapping bulgogi for paneer or crab sticks for chicken tikka doesn’t ruin the dish – it revives it for local tastes. Think of this as Indian jugaad meets Korean lunch culture!
Kimbap or gimbap are Korean sushi rolls made with a variety of sliced ingredients (vegetables, meat, and pickles), rolled in rice (bap) and covered in an outermost layer of seaweed. While getting your hands on the typical short-grain sticky rice and the seaweed sheets (gim) can be a hassle, you can substitute them with affordable and easily found Indian staples that will save you time and get you the Korean experience with comforting flavours.
The core of the typical kimbap is short-grain rice, usually seasoned with sesame oil and salt – this can be swapped with regular rice (like basmati) as long as it's slightly sticky or mixed with a bit of overcooked rice. This one cannot be replaced; it’s the necessary finish for kimbap – seaweed sheets (gim), essential for wrapping. You can use nori sheets if the gim is unavailable.
Traditional fillings include carrot, spinach, egg, pickled radish, and protein (like crab or bulgogi). For ease, go with cooked spinach, cucumber, scrambled or boiled eggs, pickled onions or mango, and proteins like grilled chicken, paneer, or cheese slices – whatever’s lying around. There’s no rule here; the key is to balance salty, fresh, and tangy flavours.
Ingredients: cubed paneer, pickled radish, cucumber, spinach.
Cube the paneer block and lightly pan-fry it with salt and a pinch of garam masala, or keep it plain, if fresh. Then slice pickled radish (danmuji) into long, thin strips. Cut a fresh cucumber into matchsticks. Blanch spinach, then squeeze it dry, gently, and season lightly. Paneer can be grilled for more flavour, but avoid sauces that drip.
Ingredients: tandoori chicken strips, cucumber, egg, spinach.
Use pre-cooked or leftover tandoori chicken for this option. Slice it into thin strips and pat dry if it’s saucy. Cucumber should be cut into thin matchsticks. Scramble or fry an egg omelette, let it cool, then slice it into strips. Spinach needs to be blanched in boiling water for 30 seconds, then squeezed dry and tossed with a little salt and sesame oil. Keep each component separate and dry before rolling.
Ingredients: masala omelette strips, cucumber, and pickled carrot.
Make a masala omelette with chopped onions, green chilli, turmeric, coriander, and salt. Cook it flat and firm like a pancake, or rather a tamagoyaki. Let it cool, and then cut into strips. The cucumber should be raw and cut into thin matchsticks, as usual. Pickled carrots can be made by soaking julienned carrots in vinegar, sugar, and salt for 15-30 minutes. Drain before using to avoid soggy rolls.
Ingredients: simple spiced chicken, egg, cucumber, spinach
Use shredded or thinly sliced spiced chicken – sauté it in a pan with salt, pepper, cumin, garlic, and a little oil until it is dry and cooked through. Fry or scramble an egg; if fried, slice once the egg cools. Slice the cucumber into sticks and blanch the spinach as usual. Pat everything dry. You can use leftover chicken, too, just warm and dry it out a bit.
Ingredients: cheese slices, cucumber, spinach, egg
Use regular cheese slices (like Amul, cheddar, or mozzarella) and slice them into long strips. Keep cucumber and spinach fresh and dry – slice the cucumber thin and blanch the spinach briefly, then season. Egg can be scrambled or made into a flat omelette and cut into strips. Avoid strong cheeses unless you like salt-heavy flavours.
Ingredients: grilled chicken pieces, carrots, cucumber, egg
Use grilled chicken pieces here that are well-cooked and not dripping with juices. Slice them thin, set aside. Use a raw carrot, which is peeled and julienned. Fry an egg omelette, cool and cut into strips. Cut the cucumber into long sticks. Pat all the components dry so the seaweed doesn’t get soggy.
Ingredients: eggs, cucumber, carrots, chaat masala
Boil eggs until firm (about 9-10 minutes). Peel and slice them lengthwise into quarters or thinner. Cut the cucumber into matchsticks. Use carrots – raw or lightly pickled, and julienned. Sprinkle a bit of salt and pepper or chaat masala over the egg slices for flavour.
Lay out a bamboo mat (or use a clean kitchen towel) and place a sheet of roasted seaweed (gim), shiny side down.
Spread a thin layer of seasoned rice (short-grain or sticky rice mixed with salt and sesame oil) over ¾ of the sheet, leaving the top edge bare.
Layer your prepared fillings horizontally across the rice, starting about 1 inch from the bottom edge.
Start rolling tightly, using the mat to press and shape as you go. Roll until sealed.
Dab a little water or sesame oil on the bare edge to stick the roll shut.
Use a sharp knife, oiled or wet, to slice the roll into even bite-sized pieces.
Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and pack for your lunchboxes.
You don’t need fancy ingredients or Korean groceries to enjoy kimbap. With basic preparation and fridge staples, you can whip up fusion rolls (desi meets Korean) that travel well, taste great, and hit all the right textures – soft rice, crisp veggies, and delicious proteins. Whether for school tiffin, office dabba, or road trips, this desi spin on kimbap is as practical as it is tasty.
