Curry Bun

Happy National Curry Week! Did you know, we’re in the special week to enjoy spicy yummy oh-everyone-loves food: curry! 

 

Ever since I’ve been interested in baking bread from scratch, my dinner buddy always insists that I make some curry buns. 

 

For those who aren’t familiar with curry buns, here is a basic info of what they are. 

Curry buns are very popular items from Japanese bakeries. It’s a type of fried bread and the filling is curry flavored, usually keema type with beef. Even though the dough is chewy, the outside of the curry bun is coated with bread crumbs, so when you bite into it they give you a fun texture of crunchiness. Since it’s fried, some bakeries call them curry donuts. They are served hot, so a lot of bakeries store them in special containers beside the cashier. 

 

This is how I learned what a curry bun is in my life, and my dinner buddy expected exactly the same. But…here is a problem. I don’t like cooking fried food and I’m still a beginner bread baker. 

 

After I baked some curry buns in my improvised way, he complained it’s not big, fried, no crunchy bread crumbs, but a few minutes later they were all gone. 

 

If you are looking for a savory bread idea, how about a spicy curry bun? They are perfect for quick lunch or snacks! 

 

Ready to check the recipe? Let’s cook! 

 

<Today’s Recipe>

Curry Bun

<Ingredients>

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• 250g bread flour
• 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon almond milk
• 1 large egg
• 1 pinch salt
• 110cc warm water
• 1 egg and 1 tablespoon water mixture

Filling

• 1 large jalapeno – trimmed, deseeded, and chopped.
• 1 medium carrot – finely chopped
• ¼ onion – chopped
• ½ pack extra firm tofu – pressed and mashed
• 1/4 block of Japanese curry mix *I used kokumaro like this but recommend to use hot!
• A few tablespoon water
• Some salt and pepper

 

<Directions>

1. Mix active dry yeast and 1 teaspoon water by borrowing from 110cc water. Stir well.
2. Combine flour, sugar, milk, egg, salt, warm water and dry yeast mixture together.  Mix well to get a big ball of the dough. Knead until the surface is silky, about 15 min.
3. Let the dough rice in a container in a warm place until it gets twice as big. (about 30 min.)
4. Prepare filling. Cook veggies and tofu in a pan. Season with curry blocks and let it cool.
5. Squeeze the dough to deflate it. Transfer back to the container and let it sit for 10 min.
6. Divide the dough into small balls and let it rise for the second time, about 30 min.
7. Spread the dough, place the filling and close it. The closed part will be on the bottom.
8. Preheat an oven to 375F°.
9. Make up time for our precious curry bun. Spread egg bath on the top of buns and bake it in the oven for 15 min. Enjoy!

 

<Cooking Tips>

• Have a big pan filled with warm water. You can let the container float for a perfectly raised dough.   
• For shiny bread exterior, spread egg bath on the dough when baking. Some recipes say you can substitute egg bath with oil, soy milk etc, but the egg bath is the only one and the best one to turn the bread shiny.

Mmm, home-baked bread is good because you can make the filling on your own. Some people like their curry to be extra hot, or some people enjoy the curry filling plant-based(like mine.) 

 

What’s your favorite “Curry Bun”? Bake some and find out!

 

<Other Curry Recipes to Enjoy National Curry Week>

Even snacks can be curry flavored! Curry Hummus

How about fried rice with cheese on top? Cheesy Curry Fried Rice

Got leftovers? Make it a casserole! Summer Veggie Curry Rice Casserole

Enjoy home cooking and your own creation of homemade food:)