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)
Whenever visiting bakeries in Japan, I ALWAYS got kare pan. I loved comparing kare pan’s from different bakeries, almost like hunting for the best ones! After many curry breads throughout my childhood my ideal kare pan has: a crispy, thin and chewy… yet still soft and a little fluffy crust with a good amount of filling.
What is Kare Pan?
Kare Pan, also known as Japanese Curry Bread is a savory pastry with a crispy, chewy and soft crust filled with warm Japanese curry. Think… savoy donut. It’s probably one of the most popular savory pastries in Japan and can be found in almost every bakery. They’re even sold by the mass at convenient stores, supermarkets and food stalls!
Ingredients to Make Curry Bread
There are two components to making kare pan: the bread dough and the curry filling.
Curry Filling
It’s very common to use leftover Japanese curry for the filling, but I like to make it specifically for kare pan because I can control the consistency and I prefer to have minced grounds in my curry bread (which my usual go-to curry recipe doesn’t have). If you do decide to use leftover curry, heat it over a stove to thicken it up a bit so it is easier to work with. As for vegetables, you can use anything you have on hand and like! For this recipe, I used a combination of onions, carrots and potatoes and seasoned it with Japanese curry cubes, ketchup and garam masala.
Bread Dough
- Bread flour: You could also use all purpose flour but bread flour is what will give it that delicious chewy texture.
- Soy milk or water
- Sugar
- Instant yeast
- Salt
- Butter: I used vegan butter for this recipe but you can use margarine or even oil.
How to Make Japanese Curry Bread (Kare Pan)
Curry Filling:
- 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 soy milk. 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
- 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.
- 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.
- Bread machine: Add all the ingredients to your bread machine and turn on bread dough setting. Let it run until primary fermentation is done.
- 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).
- 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.
- Add panko to a shallow dish. Brush or spray 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.
- Let it proof for 15-20 minutes. **Skip this step if you prefer thin & chewy kare pan bread dough and go straight to frying.
- 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!
How to Bake and Air Fry Curry Bread
- Bake: Pre-heat oven to 180 C (350 F). Place the curry bread on a lined baking tray and spray with oil on all sides. Bake each side for 15 minutes (total 30 minutes) or until they’re golden brown.
- Air Fry: Pre-heat air fryer to 180 C (350 F). Place the curry bread in the air fryer basket and spray all sides with oil. Air fry for 6 minutes. Flip and air fry for another 6 minutes (total 12 minutes).
Tips for Making Curry Bread
After testing this recipe several times, here are some key tips I picked up along the way:
- Thicken the curry: It is much easier to work with thickened curry so I highly suggest making it a day ahead of time and leaving it to cool and thicken overnight in the fridge (which is why leftovers are great). If your leftover curry is still loose, thicken it up by heating and simmering it over the stove until paste-like.
- Thin out the edges: After rolling out the dough, use the rolling pin and/or fingers to pinch the edges thinner. It makes it easier to seal and the thicker base will hold the curry together.
- Keep curry out of the edges: Once the curry touches the edges, it is almost impossible to keep sealed so this is VERY important. If you do have a bit of curry touching the edges, rip a small piece of dough off, cover the spot and knead it in and try to tightly pinch the dough together. Otherwise, I suggest baking the ones that are not properly sealed so that you don’t run into the problem of them exploding when frying.
- Secondary fermentation: The second rise will determine the thickness and fluffiness of the bread. You can skip the secondary fermentation which will create a very thin, chewy and crispy crust whereas leaving it covered for 20-30 minutes will yield a fluffier, thicker crust. The length of fermentation will depend on the temperature in your kitchen but a good rule of thumb to check for doneness is to press on the dough, where it should leave a indentation. This is purely personal preference so try different proofing times and see which you like best!
- Frying: 15-20 seconds after you add the curry bread to the oil, flip and fry for 1 minute. Then flip and fry for another 1 minutes. Repeat until both sides are beautifully golden brown. This method of frying ensures the bread is even throughout and doesn’t cause a large gap on the inside (as shown below).
More Delicious Curry Recipes to Love!
- Authentic Vegan Japanese Curry
- Vegan Tofu Katsu Curry
- Japanese Curry Fried Rice
- Pan Fried Curry Buns
- Vegan Curry Udon
- Yaki Curry
- Vegan Pumpkin Curry
SAVE IT FOR LATER! ↓
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Japanese Curry Bread (Kare Pan) カレーパン
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
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
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
- 3 – 4 cup neutral frying oil
Instructions
Curry Filling:
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- Bread machine: Add all the ingredients to your bread machine and turn on bread dough setting. Let it run until primary fermentation is done.
- 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).
- 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.
- 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.
- Let it proof for 15-20 minutes. **Skip this step if you prefer thin & chewy kare pan bread dough and go straight to frying.
- 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
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I’m an experienced cook, but don’t know what you mean by “grounds” in this context.
any ground protein of your choice, I used vegan ground beef 🙂
I tried a double recipe for the first attempt and my kids devoured them all within the next day. Now I’m on the hook to make this every weekend. Great recipe, love that it uses grams for everything.
I never thought eating fried bread w a sauce inside would be so freaking delicious! I’m definitely gonna make it again ;3
the recipe was very good, but I will say, if I could go back in time I would divide the dough into five pieces, not six. the dough was a little too thin in areas, which made adding panko breadcrumbs near impossible, and made frying difficult, though most of them turned out fine, with or without the panko coating. I had one curry bread burst in the oil, which was scary, and I feel that the dough was just stretched too thin. I made mine by hand, and I kneaded for a total of 7 minutes before resting for 45 minutes, forming the curry breads and resting for another 20 minutes, since my kitchen is hot so my doughs always rise quickly. I also added the small amount of butter in liquid form when making the dough, since I don’t have a stand mixer, and it was fine. my only note for those making it at home by hand is to divide the dough into five, not six, and don’t roll it out to 10 x 13 inches. that was way too large for me, and attempting to make an oval that large made the dough extremely paper thin, which won’t work. I can’t spread 1/4 cup flour’s worth of dough into an oval bigger than a foot long without it being paper thin. I would recommend rolling out to 5 x 8 inch ovals, and gathering the dough overhanging both sides of the hardened curry you placed in the middle and bringing those sides upward and pinching them together. if you try to fold hotdog style, by bringing one side of the overhanging dough over to meet the other side, the curry is going to roll out. by bringing both sides upward after pinching the edges closed, you avoid that issue. once you pinch closed, roll the formed curry bread over a couple times to smooth it out. that method worked better for me when I made them. again, my dough was too thin to coat with panko, so I had to fry them mostly without it, but they were still good. if you’re making this recipe by hand, I would highly recommend following the suggestions I’ve given above to avoid a blowout in your oil. also, I will tell you that you need to use about 2 and a half inches of oil in a thick bottomed pot. don’t use more or you will have a hard time keeping your curry breads turned the way you want them. they will float however they wish if you have too much oil in your pot. so “three cups of oil” might be right for a large pot, but if you’re using a smaller pot, it will be way too much oil. you need about 2 and a half inches of oil regardless of the size of your pot so that you can control the way that your curry breads are positioned. you don’t want them to float like a doughnut, you want them to slightly touch the bottom of your pot so that they don’t flip and turn on their own while frying. hopefully, by implementing the changes I mentioned I’ll be able to roll them in panko and have an easier fry time the next time I make this recipe. thank you for the recipe by the way! they tasted great, regardless of my little explosion.
Blown away by this recipe. 10/10 would recommend. And it’s so forgiving! I was not confident I was following each step correctly but the end product was amazing.
I also grew up eating karepan, and I love this recipe!
I brought these to a friend’s potluck to share, and word spread quickly about how delicious these are. They were the first item to disappear!
I did have some issues with the widget to scale the recipe up, so ended up doing quick math to scale up manually. Other than that 1 minor thing, this recipe is perfection!!
The kare pan has been a hit with everyone who’s tried it. It was a little tricky to get the seam right the first time but even the exploded ones tasted amazing!
Do you think this recipe could work with pizza dough?
I’m not sure as I haven’t tried. If the pizza dough is high hydration it may be difficult to mold.
Amazing recipe! It was very easy to make and super delicious. I may have messed up the dough as this was my first attempt, but I will definitely make it again!
So easy to make and it came out exactly as pictures!! So delicious 😋