Curry Pan (カレーパン)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Heavy pot or deep fryer
• •Frying thermometer
• •Spider strainer or long chopsticks
• •Wire rack
• •Bench scraper, helpful for dividing dough

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook the curry

   Warm the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion until soft and lightly sweet, then add the meat and break it up finely. Add the carrot and potato and cook two minutes more. Pour in the dashi or water, simmer until the vegetables are tender, then stir in the chopped curry roux, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Keep cooking until the curry is thick enough that a spoon dragged through the pan leaves a clean trail.

   This filling must be thicker than curry for rice. A loose filling leaks, and then the oil does the seasoning for you, which is not our aim.
2. 2

   Chill the filling

   Spread the curry in a shallow dish and cool it completely, then refrigerate until firm, at least one hour. Cold curry can be portioned cleanly and sealed inside the dough. Warm curry softens the dough from the inside and looks innocent until it escapes.

3. 3

   Make the dough

   Mix the bread flour, sugar, salt, and yeast in a bowl. Add the lukewarm milk and knead until the dough comes together, then knead in the softened butter. Continue until smooth and elastic, about eight minutes by hand. The dough should feel soft but not sticky, because it needs enough strength to stretch around the filling without tearing.

4. 4

   First rise

   Cover the dough and let it rise in a warm place until nearly doubled, about one hour. Press it gently with a floured finger. If the dent slowly fills halfway, it is ready. If it springs back at once, give it more time. Yeast works by its own clock, not ours.

5. 5

   Divide and rest

   Turn the dough out and divide it into eight equal pieces. Shape each into a ball, cover, and rest for ten minutes. This short rest relaxes the gluten, so the dough rolls out without snapping back like a stubborn thought.

6. 6

   Fill and seal

   Flatten one dough ball into an oval about 12cm long, leaving the center slightly thicker than the edges. Place a firm spoonful of curry in the middle, about 35g. Bring the long edges together and pinch tightly from one end to the other, then tuck and pinch the ends closed. Set it seam-side down and repeat.

   Keep the rim of the dough clean and dry. Curry on the edge prevents a proper seal, and the seal is the whole dish.
7. 7

   Coat with panko

   Brush each bun lightly with beaten egg, then roll it in panko, pressing gently so the crumbs cling. Use a light hand. Too much egg makes a heavy shell, while dry patches fry pale and bare.

8. 8

   Second rise

   Set the coated buns seam-side down on parchment and let them rise for 25 to 35 minutes, until slightly puffy. They should not double. A modest rise gives a soft bread layer; too much rise makes the seal fragile and the bun drinks oil.

9. 9

   Fry the buns

   Heat 6cm of oil to 170°C. Fry two or three buns at a time, seam-side down first, turning gently, until deep golden and even, about three minutes per side. Keep the oil between 165°C and 175°C. Too cool and the bread grows greasy; too hot and the panko darkens before the dough cooks through.

10. 10

    Drain and serve

    Lift the curry pan to a rack, not paper towels, so the crust stays crisp all around. Rest five minutes before eating. The filling stays very hot, and patience here is cheaper than a burned tongue. Serve warm, with the cut face glistening and the curry held neatly inside.

Chef Tips

• •Use Japanese curry roux for this. It gives the thick, mild, gently sweet filling that belongs inside curry pan. A loose curry powder sauce may taste pleasant, but it won't behave like the shop version.
• •If you want a meatless table, use konbu and dried shiitake dashi, finely chopped mushrooms, carrot, and potato for the filling. That is honmono in the temple-kitchen direction, not an apology.
• •A thermometer is the sensible stand-in for long frying experience. Watch the oil after each batch, because cold dough lowers the temperature quickly.
• •Leave space between the buns during the second rise and in the oil. Crowding lowers the heat and rough handling opens the seams.

Advance Preparation

• •The curry filling can be made up to two days ahead and refrigerated. Cold, firm filling is easier to seal than freshly cooked curry.
• •The filled and breaded buns can rest in the refrigerator for up to four hours before frying. Let them stand at room temperature for 20 minutes before they go into the oil.
• •Fried curry pan is best the day it is made. To refresh, warm it in a 170°C oven until the outside is crisp again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 135g)