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Japanese Curry Bread (Kare Pan) カレーパン


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4.9 from 13 reviews

Description

Learn how to make delicious Japanese Curry Bread with this step by step recipe. With a savory mild curry filling encased in a crispy, chewy and soft crust, this Kare Pan recipe tastes just like the ones you find at Japanese bakeries! (Vegan with Baked and Air Fried Options)


Ingredients

Units Scale

Curry Filling:

  • 75g vegan minced grounds (1/2 cup)
  • 75g onion, diced (1/2cup)
  • 8g garlic, minced (2 cloves)
  • 40g grated carrots (1/3 cup)
  • 45g potatoes, diced (1/3 cup)
  • 37g curry roux cubes (1 1/2 cubes)
  • 7g ketchup (1 1/2 tsp)
  • 3g tsp garam masala (3/4 tsp)
  • 240ml water (1 cup)

Dough

  • 180 bread flour (approx. 1 1/2 cups)
  • 20 g cake flour (3 tbsp)
  • 20g sugar (1 1/2 tbsp)
  • 3g salt* (1/2 tsp)
  • 20 g vegan butter
  • 135 ml soy milk (1/2 cup + 2 tsp)
  • 3 g yeast (1/2 tsp)

Coating and Frying

  • 1/4 cup aquafaba or soy milk
  • 1 cup Japanese style panko
  • 34 cup neutral frying oil

Instructions

Curry Filling:

  1. Add 1 tbsp of oil to a pan over medium high heat. Add the garlic and onions and cook until the onions become almost translucent. Add the vegan grounds and cook for one minute. Add the potatoes and carrots and fry for 30 seconds and then pour in the water. Cover and reduce to low heat and cook until potatoes are almost cooked through. Add the curry roux blocks, ketchup and garam masala and mix to combine. Cook until the curry has thickened (it should be quite thick, but it will also thicken as it cools). Remove from heat and transfer to a glass container. Once cooled, cover and place in the refrigerator to chill.

Dough

  1. Hand knead: Add the ingredients into a bowl and mix together. Once a shaggy dough forms, place the dough on to your work surface and knead until the dough starts coming together. Once relatively smooth, add the butter in the middle and knead. Once butter is incorporated, hit the dough on the table and roll upward, until the dough is smooth. Once the dough is  smooth, shape into a ball and then place in a bowl and cover. Let it proof for 30-60 minutes (depending on temperature) or until double in size. To check, poke a hole in the middle of the dough— it should not spring back up quickly.
  2. Stand mix: Add all of the ingredients, except butter into your stand mixer bowl. Turn on the stand mixer to setting 2 and knead for 1 minute. Increase speed to 4 and knead for 8 minutes. Remove the dough from the hook and press in the butter into the middle. Place it back into the stand mixer bowl and turn on to speed 4 and knead for another 5 minutes. Remove from the bowl and then form it into a ball. Cover and let it proof for 30-60 minutes or until double in size. 
  3. Bread machine: Add all the ingredients to your bread machine and turn on bread dough setting. Let it run until primary fermentation is done. 
  4. Flatten the dough to remove air bubbles and then divide into 6 equal pieces. Give them a quick knead and then roll them back into balls. Cover and let them rest for about 10 minutes (this allows the gluten to relax). In the meantime, divide the filling into 6 portions about 40-42g each (approx. 2 tbsp). 
  5. Take a piece of dough and roll it out into a 10×13 inch oval. Add the filling to the top half and then bring the edge from the lower half of the dough upward to meet the edges of the top half of the dough. Be careful not to let the curry touch the edges or it will not seal properly. Firmly pinch the dough to seal it tightly. One sealed, place it seam side down into a silicon baking mat and cover with a damp tea towel to prevent them from drying. Repeat with remaining pieces.
  6. Add panko to a shallow dish. Brush soy milk around the entire piece of dough and then quickly coat in panko. Place it back onto the silicon mat. Cover with a light damp tea towel as you go. 
  7. Let it proof for 15-20 minutes. **Skip this step if you prefer thin & chewy kare pan bread dough and go straight to frying. 
  8. Add 3 cups of oil to a deep pot and heat to 160-170 C (320-338 F). Place 2-3 pieces of the dough into the oil and fry each side for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Place on a wire rack to allow excess oil to drip off. After each round of frying, use a metal skimmer to remove excess panko. Repeat with remaining pieces. Allow them to cool for a few minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

  • *If using salted vegan butter use 2g of salt. If using unsalted vegan butter use 3g of salt. 
  • Original dough recipe: 200 bread flour (approx. 1 1/2 cups), 20g sugar (1 1/2 tbsp), 3g salt* (1/2 tsp), 7g vegan butter* (1/2 tbsp), 120ml soy milk (1/2 cup), 2g yeast (1/2 tsp)
  • Helpful Equipment
  • Nutritional Information Disclaimer: Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated on an online tool (Cronometer). 

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 serving
  • Calories: 271
  • Sugar: 3.1g
  • Sodium: 453mg
  • Fat: 11.6g
  • Saturated Fat: 2g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 8g
  • Trans Fat: 0.03g
  • Carbohydrates: 34.5g
  • Fiber: 1.7g
  • Protein: 7g
  • Cholesterol: 0g