Tamago Kare Pan (Soft Boiled Egg Curry Bread) たまごカレパン

Soft-Boiled Egg Curry Bread is a crispy, golden bun filled with flavorful curry, cheese and a perfectly soft-boiled egg. This Japanese favorite combines satisfying textures with bold flavors for a delicious snack or meal.

Curry Bread with a Soft Boiled Egg

Kare pan, or curry bread, is a popular Japanese deep-fried snack filled with savory curry, encased in a crispy fried, panko coated golden-brown crust. It’s one of the most popular savory pastries in Japan that you can find at many bakeries, department stores and convenience stores. So much so that they even have Kare Pan awards for the best curry bread each year. Nowadays, there are many elevated curry breads that vary store to store. Some add more unique ingredients like seafood or heaps of cheese, and others will change the coating with fried potatoes or use fancy panko.

This curry bread is my version of a fancy Japanese curry bread, with added cooked rice in the dough for a mochi-mochi texture, stuffed with cheese and a soft boiled egg. I will admit that it is time consuming to make, but it’s so well worth the effort. I’ve been making them for 2 years now and my friends and family go crazy for it every time.

Ingredients

Heres everything you need to make this cheesy egg curry bread:

• Milk: Adds richness and moisture to the dough for a softer texture.
• Sugar: Feeds the yeast and adds a touch of sweetness to balance flavors.
• Dry yeast: Leavens the dough, making it light and airy.
• Bread flour: Provides the dough with structure and chewiness.
• Cake flour: Softens the dough for a tender crumb.
• Salt: Enhances flavor and controls yeast activity.
• Unsalted butter: Adds richness and creates a soft, flavorful dough.
• Cooked rice: Provides a soft and chewy mochi-mochi texture
• Curry filling: You can use Vegetable Japanese curry leftovers, Cocoichi Curry leftovers and thicken it up with some minced vegetables, or make curry filling from my classic curry bread recipe.
• Soft boiled eggs: Creamy, soft-centered eggs that complement the curry filling.
• Cheese: Melts into the curry filling, adding a creamy, savory layer of flavor.

How to Make Curry Bread with Cheese and Egg

The process of making curry bread is very similar to donuts but with an additional step of stuffing them first.

1. Prepare the Dough: Make the yudane, if usnig. Mix the ingredients together, knead until smooth and then let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size. You can also place it into the freezer overnight.
2. Prepare the Soft-Boiled Eggs: Bring water to a boil in a pot and cook the eggs for 5 minutes for a soft yolk. Transfer the eggs to an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Once cooled, peel and set aside. Wrap the egg in cheese and curry.
3. Divide the dough: Punch down the risen dough and divide it into equal portions. Roll it into a ball and rest for 10 minutes to relax the gluten.
4. Assemble the kare pan: Roll each piece into a flat oval. Place curry coated egg in the middle and seal tightly. Ensure the curry doesn’t touch the edges or it will not seal.
5. Coat in Panko: Spray the dough with water and toss in panko. Set aside to rise for 10-15 minutes. Start heating the oil once it starts to get puffy.
6. Fry the Bread: Heat oil in a deep pan over medium heat. Carefully add the curry bread, frying for 15-20 seconds before flipping. Fry for 1 minute, then flip again and fry for another minute. Repeat until both sides are golden brown and evenly cooked.

How to Store Curry Bread with Egg

Unlike classic curry bread, this version contains egg, making it unsuitable for freezing due to the rubbery texture it develops. It’s best enjoyed fresh on the day it’s made. If you must store it, you can refrigerate it, but be aware that the dough may become slightly stale.

Recipe FAQ

Enjoy!! If you make this Soft Boiled Egg & Cheese Curry Bread  recipe, let me know! Leave a comment, rating and if you decide to share it on socials, tag me on instagram @Okonomikitchen. I’d love to hear from you!

Soft Boiled Egg Curry Bread (Tamago Kare Pan)

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• Author: Lisa Kitahara
• Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
• Yield: 5 pieces
• Diet: Vegetarian

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Description

Soft-Boiled Egg Curry Bread is a crispy, golden bun filled with flavorful curry, cheese and a perfectly soft-boiled egg. This Japanese favorite combines satisfying textures with bold flavors for a delicious snack or meal.

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Ingredients

Units USM

Yudane (Optional)

• 3 tbsp (45 g) water
• 1/3 cup (40 g) all purpose flour

Dough

• 1/3 cup (80 ml) milk
• 1 1/2 tbsp (18 g) sugar
• 1 1/2 tbsp (22 g) unsalted butter, softened
• 2/3 tsp (3 g) instant dry yeast
• 1 1/3 (160 g) cup all purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp (4 g) salt
• 1/3 cup (60 – 65g) cooked Japanese short grain rice

Filling

• 2/3 cup (160 g) curry filling
• 5 small (45-50g) eggs
• 2/3 cup (50 g) cheese of choice

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Instructions

Yudane (Optional)

1. Bring water to a boil. Pour 40 ml of water over 40 grams of flour. Stir and then cover with cling wrap. Keep at room temperature for 1 hour or in the fridge overnight. 

Dough

1. In a mixing bowl, combine milk, water, sugar, softened butter, yeast, bread flour, cake flour, and salt. Be sure to incorporate the water and extra flour from yudane if you are not using yudane. Mix until a dough forms.
2. Knead the dough for 5-7 minutes until smooth. Add the yudane (if using) and continue kneading until the yudane is fully incorporated, and the dough becomes elastic and slightly tacky. Add in the rice and knead until distributed evenly. 
3. Cover the dough and place into the produce compartment of the fridge. Let it proof overnight or at least for 8 hours. Alternatively, let it proof in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until it doubles in size.

Soft-Boiled Eggs

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Remove eggs from the fridge and gently lower the eggs in. Boil for 6 minutes for soft yolks. Transfer the eggs to an ice bath and let them cool completely before peeling.

Kare Pan Filling

1. Divide the curry into 5 equal portions and flatten it onto cling wrap. Place some cheese and the soft boiled egg in the middle.  Wrap it around a soft-boiled egg. Repeat for remaining 4 pieces and set aside. 

Assemble the Kare Pan

1. Remove the dough from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 1 hour. Once the dough is about 17 C or doubled in size if proofing at room temperature, punch it down and divide it into 5 equal portions. Roll into a ball, cover and let it rest for 10 minutes.
2. Flatten each dough portion into a oval. Place the curry wrapped egg in the middle and bring the top edge to the bottom edge. Pinch the seams together tightly. Place the dough seam side down onto a piece of parchment paper.
3. Spray the dough with water and then coat in panko. Place it back onto the parchment paper. Let the assembled buns rest for 10 minutes.
4. Heat oil in a pot to 350°F (180°C). Carefully add the curry bread, frying for 15-20 seconds before flipping. Fry for 1 minute, then flip again and fry for another minute. Repeat until both sides are golden brown and evenly cooked. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
5. Serve immediately and enjoy!!

Notes

• *I have provided cup measurements but I highly recommend using using a food scale for best accurate results. 

• Prep Time: 70 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Category: Bread
• Method: Frying
• Cuisine: Japanese

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