Curry Pan: Japanese Curry Filled Savoury Doughnuts - Chef Recipe by Tim Anderson

Ingredients

Curry:

15 g butter
1/2 small onion, diced
10 g plain (all-purpose) flour
10 g curry powder
1 tsp garam masala
120 mL vegetable stock
1/2 carrot, peeled and diced
80 g cauliflower, cut into small pieces
20 g peas
1 Tbs soy sauce
1 tsp ketchup
Hot chilli sauce, to taste (optional)

Dough:

1 tsp instant yeast
60 mL lukewarm milk
2 large eggs, beaten
250 g strong white bread flour
50 g plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for dusting
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbs caster (superfine) sugar
80 g butter, softened and cut into small pieces

Assemble and serve:

1 egg, beaten with a splash of water or milk
40 g panko
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying (about 1.5 L)

Method

Curry:

Melt the butter in a small saucepan, add the onion and fry for 5 minutes or until golden brown.

Stir in the flour, curry powder and garam masala, then cook the roux for a few minutes, stirring constantly.

Add the stock and bring to the boil. Add the carrot, cauliflower and peas and cook until tender, stirring frequently to ensure the sauce doesn’t catch. Stir in the soy sauce, ketchup and chilli sauce, if using, then remove from the heat and chill thoroughly.

Dough:

Stir together the yeast and milk until the yeast dissolves, then stir the mixture into the eggs.

Place the flours, salt and sugar in a mixing bowl (use an electric mixer with a dough hook, if you have one) and mix lightly, then add the liquid ingredients. Mix by hand or on a low speed for 2 minutes, then turn the speed up to medium and mix for another 7 minutes, or knead on a floured surface for 15 minutes. Add the butter and knead or mix for a further 5 minutes until no chunks of butter remain and the dough is very smooth and soft. Wrap the dough in cling film (plastic wrap) and chill for at least 2 hours.

Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces and roll them into balls. Roll the balls out into rounds about 10 cm across, then flatten out the edges a little (each round should be a little bit thicker at the centre). Place a big spoonful of curry in the centre of each round, then fold over and press the edges together firmly to tightly seal in the curry (if they open even a little in the oil, the curry will come gushing out).

Crimp the sealed edges of each doughnut using a fold-and-roll motion like making a pasty, then turn the doughnuts onto a lightly oiled tray, sealed side down. Transfer to the fridge and chill for at least 1 hour.

Place the panko on a tray or plate. Brush each doughnut with the egg wash, then roll through the panko. Cover the doughnuts loosely in cling film (plastic wrap) and leave to prove in a warm place for 1–2 hours, or until they have nearly doubled in size.

Heat the oil to 160°C and carefully lower the doughnuts into the oil, 2 or 3 at a time, sealed-side down. After a few seconds, flip the doughnuts over so the seam is now at the top (this will help prevent them from over-inflating, which causes the bread to be too hollow). Fry for 8 minutes, turning frequently, until they are golden brown. Leave to cool slightly before serving.

Equipment

Probe thermometer.

Credits: This is an edited extract from Tokyo Stories by Tim Anderson published by Hardie Grant Books $39.99 and is available in stores nationally.

Photo Credits: © Nassima Rothacker.