Curry Pan/カレーパン

Japanese fried curry roll

Pan means bread in Japanese. Curry dish is immensely popular in Japan. It came from India in 1853 when Yokohama port was open for import business. Since then the recipe was cultivated and improvements made to suit Japanese taste. In the end, Japanese curry has different spin than India or Thai curry. The fried curry roll was debuted by Catlea bakery in Tokyo 74 years later in 1927 (昭和２年). This bakery still exists and is very proud as the original curry pan maker. One source said that it’s Japanese version of  the ‘piroshky’ of Russia. Genius!

I mentioned in a past blog about how I’m in love with curry pan and will never fall out of it. It’s a handsome pick me up or a nice mid day date, I mean snack. There are a few non-fried curry pan recipes popping up in the last few years for those who are concerned about calories but that’s nonsense! To me, frying takes curry pan to awesomeness!

I used left over curry and left over super mochi mochi bread dough so it was not a big deal to make it (“yeah right” sounds were heard from whoever washed the dishes), otherwise this is a time consuming recipe. I have an great idea! Why not have curry rice one night and make this curry pan for snack at a later date? Left over curry in Tupperware keeps fresh for few days. Oh oh  I know!  Make cooked rice bread with left over rice too! How clever of me! I baked curry pan first in oven and deep fried them for kari kari (sound of crispiness) texture, or should I say, curry, curry?

Ingredients Make about 8 curry pans or 4 big rolls

• Super mochi mochi dough- or your favorite roll dough. Frozen rolls may be used.
• Curry stew 300g Recipe follow.
• Potatoes- prepare about 120g –skinned, cooked and mashed
• 1 egg, beaten
• Panko-Japanese bread crumbs
• Oil for frying
• Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper

1. In a medium size pan, heat curry and add mashed potatoes a little at a time to achieve the right thickness. Thick enough for easy filling but still a little loose! You do not need to use all the potatoes, its all depends on your curry. Set it aside.
2. When the dough is done and out of bread maker, divide in 8 equal parts or 4 for larger rolls. Make balls and let rest for 10 minutes under a moistened towel.
3. Stretch the ball of dough with rolling pin (you may need some flour for dusting) and fill with curry filling (about 2 Tablespoons but do not overfill). Make a tight seal.* Lay the roll seam side down in the prepared pan.
4. Leave them in warm place to rise again. Heat oven to 300 F. Bake for 20 minutes.
5. Start heating up oil to 355 F. After rolls cool down a bit then dip in egg, dredge in panko then fry until golden brown. Place on the paper towel to remove extra oil.
6. Optional: Heat the oil to 375 F and re-fry them for ultimate crispness. You need to watch carefully though, as they will burn very quickly.

* Try to keep the edge clean from curry filling. It’ll be hard to seal if not.

Recipe for curry stew

Ingredients

• Butter 20g
• 2 clove of garlic sliced
• 1 medium size onion chopped
• Ground pork 150g or other meat
• 1 carrot chopped
• Water 600ml.
• Curry rue- I used half box of solid cube curry rue about 125g
• Ketchup about 3 Tablespoon (optional)

1. In large pan, melt butter at medium high heat and add garlic. Sauté until garlic is fragrant but not brown.
2. Add onion and sauté until transparent.
3. Add pork and carrot. Keep sautéing until meat is brown.
4. Pour in the water and cook over low heat till carrots are soft but not mushy.
5. Add curry rue and stir to thicken. Add more curry if it’s too runny.
6. Add ketchup if you like. The color gets brighter and a little sweeter with this.

For people really really don’t want to fry curry pan- After you filled with curry filling, dip in egg and dredge with bread crumbs then leave in warm place to rise for 2nd time. Place cooking sheet in a oven and preheat oven to 380F.  Lay the curry pans in heated cooking sheet seam side down and mist with water mister. Bake for 15- 20 minutes. Heating the cooking sheet makes the bottom of bread crispy.

I made cream pan and chocolate cream pan also for my sweet tooth guys. It’s not my best but this custard cream recipe is super easy. I don’t deep-fry this, just bake in a 302F oven for about 20 minutes.

Ingredients for Vanilla custard cream

• Cake flour or weak power flour 15g
• Sugar 50g
• 1 egg
• Milk 200cc
• Vanilla 2-3 drops

1. Mix sugar and flour well in a microwave proof bowl.
2. Pour milk in and mix well.
3. Add egg and mix well
4. Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap then microwave for 2 and half minutes at 50% power.
5. Mix well and re-cover loosely and microwave for another 2 minutes at 50% power.
6. Mix till smooth and add a few drops of vanilla. Cover with plastic directly over the custard and chill in refrigerator until needed.

Chocolate custard version;. Melt 40g of chocolate in a microwave or double boiler . Add to vanilla custard cream (before chilling) and mix well.

Next Tuesday is Valentine’s Day so my next blog post will be Wednesday I hope you have a wonderful day!