Kare Pan Recipe: How to Make Japanese Curry Bread

Kare pan is a Japanese pastry consisting of soft bread filled with meat and vegetables in a Japanese curry sauce, coated in panko breadcrumbs, and deep-fried until golden brown. Kare pan is a type of okazu pan or bread with a savory filling. You can find kare pan in bakeries and convenience stores all over Japan.

Japanese curry, also known as kare raisu (curry rice), is a dish of vegetables and meat—typically beef—in a thick curry sauce served with rice. Japanese curry was influenced by British and Indian cuisine and developed during the Meiji period (1868–1912). Curry sauce, made with a mix of curry powder and a roux, has also found its way into other Japanese foods, including fried rice, ramen, and udon noodles. Roux is a combination of flour and fat that is cooked and used as a base to thicken and flavor sauces. Home cooks often use instant curry roux blocks to make Japanese curry, and then simply add vegetables and ground beef.

Kare pan isn't complicated to make, but it does require patience. Follow these tips for the best experience:

1. 1. Use leftover curry. You can save time by using leftover curry. Plus, it is easier to work with refrigerated curry. If your curry is on the thinner side, reduce it to a thick consistency before making a kare pan; otherwise, the filling will seep out. If your meat and/or vegetables are in large chunks, mash them before filling the kare pan.
2. 2. Plan your baking ahead of time. As with most bread recipes, kare pan requires multiple rises, so you'll want to make it on a day when you have plenty of time. Make a schedule so that you'll be ready to eat when the kare pan is fresh out of the fryer.
3. 3. Make a tight seam for the buns. To avoid filling spilling out of your kare pan, tightly seal your buns. Pinch the edges together tightly, then fold the seam over and lightly press it into the dough. Flip the bun seam-side down and roll it back and forth over the work surface to seal.
4. 4. Press the panko into the bread dough. Using an egg wash will help the panko breadcrumbs stick to the kare pan, but make sure to use your fingers to press the panko into the bread dough gently. If the panko isn't pressed on, it will float off into the oil when you deep-fry the kare pan.
5. 5. Don't crowd the pan. It can be tempting to fry all of your kare pan at once, but be patient. Adding a large amount of cold or room-temperature food to your perfectly heated oil will bring the temperature down and the curry bread won't fry properly.
6. 6. Reheat in the oven. Kare pan is best eaten fresh, but if you have leftovers, you can reheat them in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.