International dishesSavory CakesJapanabout 90 minutes
Plenty of people who love Japanese bakery buns look for a way to make these fried curry chicken buns at home. Dough that has not proofed enough gives a dense crumb. Filling that is still hot makes the dough slack, and the buns burst in the oil.
The curry filling cooks for another 10 minutes with the curry powder mixture to thicken, then has to cool completely before wrapping. The buns fry over low heat, no more than 3 at a time, so they cook through evenly.
This batch weighs about 1.7kg, at roughly 230 calories per 100g. It suits an afternoon snack.
Method
Rinse 200g of chicken, cut it into small pieces and grind it.
Peel the onion, potato and carrot, wash them and cut them into dice. Peel and core the apple and grate half of it.
Mince the ginger and garlic. Set a pan over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and fry the onion until lightly golden, then add the minced ginger and garlic and fry until fragrant.
Add the potato and carrot, then 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 125ml of water, cover the pan and cook for 5 to 7 minutes until the liquid reduces.
Add the ground chicken with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and stir until cooked, then add 1 tablespoon of ketchup, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and the grated apple and mix until the filling is soft and comes together.
Stir 2 tablespoons of curry powder, 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 60ml of water until dissolved, pour it into the filling, cook it for another 10 minutes and leave it to cool.
Mix the dough: put 390g of all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon of salt, 40g of honey, 150ml of oat milk and 2 tablespoons of yeast in a mixer and beat it for 10 minutes.
Add 30g of melted unsalted butter and beat for another 5 minutes until the dough is supple and pulls away from the bowl.
Brush 1 teaspoon of cooking oil around a bowl, turn the dough in it to coat, cover it and proof it for 15 to 30 minutes until doubled.
Divide the dough into 16 pieces, roll each into a ball and flatten it lightly.
Spoon 1 tablespoon of filling into the center, pinch the two edges together to seal and shape it like a folded dumpling.
Beat 2 eggs, dip each bun in the egg and coat it evenly in 70g of panko breadcrumbs.
Pour 500ml of cooking oil into a pan, heat it over low heat and deep fry the buns, turning them gently, until golden and crisp, then lift them out.
Tips
Fry over low heat and no more than 3 at a time so the buns cook through from the middle out.
Grated apple gives the curry filling a gentle sweetness, and ordinary market apples do the job.
Let the filling cool completely before wrapping, as hot filling slackens the dough and the buns burst in the oil.
Honey is still a sugar, so it can drop to 30g for a lighter hand and the dough still rises normally.
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