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With spicy savoy curry and molten cheese stuffed between two buttery slices of crisp sandwich bread, this mashup of Japanese Curry Bread and a Grilled Cheese Sandwich is irresistibly good.
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Easy Curry Bread (Karé Pan)

This Easy Karé Pan recipe (カレーパン) is a delicious hack that allows you to prepare a Japanese Curry Bread in around 15 minutes. With flavorful Japanese-style curry and cheese stuffed between two crisp, buttery slices of shokupan (Japanese sandwich bread), it's easier to make and tastes better than the original!
Course Sandwich
Cuisine Japanese
Keyword bun, crispy, snack
Level Beginner
Main Ingredient Beef, Bread
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 2 servings
Calories 688kcal
Author Marc Matsumoto

Equipment

Ingredients

For curry filling

  • 80 grams kabocha squash (peeled and sliced thinly)
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 120 grams onions (finely chopped)
  • 6 grams garlic (finely minced)
  • 4 grams ginger (finely minced)
  • 150 grams ground beef
  • 1 tablespoon Japanese curry powder
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons ketchup

For Curry Bread

  • 3 tablespoons cultured unsalted butter (room temperature)
  • 4 slices sandwich bread (sliced 1-inch thick)
  • 2 slices American cheese
Grams + US Cups - US Standard

Instructions

Make Curry Filling

  • Add the sliced 80 grams kabocha squash to a microwave-safe bowl along with 1 tablespoon water. Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap and microwave until the kabocha is tender (about 2 minutes at 600 watts).
    80 grams kabocha squash, 1 tablespoon water
    Testing steamed kabocha squash with a fork.
  • In a frying pan over medium heat, add the 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 120 grams onions, 6 grams garlic, and 4 grams ginger, and sauté until the onions are tender and caramelized.
    1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 120 grams onions, 6 grams garlic, 4 grams ginger
    Caramelized onions in a frying pan.
  • Add the 150 grams ground beef and use a spatula to crumble until it's cooked most of the way through.
    150 grams ground beef
    Ground beef cooking in a frying pan.
  • Add the 1 tablespoon Japanese curry powder and 1 tablespoon soy sauce and stir-fry until any liquid has evaporated, and the curry is fragrant.
    1 tablespoon Japanese curry powder, 1 tablespoon soy sauce
    Curry flavored ground beef cooking in a frying pan.
  • Add the 2 tablespoons ketchup and cooked kabocha and mash the mixture together with a spatula or potato masher.
    2 tablespoons ketchup
    Kabocha added to the curry beef mixture to bind it together.

Make Curry Bread

  • Spread the room temperature 3 tablespoons cultured unsalted butter onto one side of each slice of 4 slices sandwich bread. It's helpful to think about how the bread fits together before doing this as you want the butter on the outside surfaces of the sandwich (not the inside).
    3 tablespoons cultured unsalted butter, 4 slices sandwich bread
    Spreading butter on sandwich bread.
  • With the buttered side of two slices of bread facing down, add one of 2 slices American cheese to each.
    2 slices American cheese
    Adding a slice of American Cheese to sandwich bread for Curry Bread.
  • Top each slice of cheese with half of the curry mixture. Spread the mixture around to form an even layer, but don't go all the way to the edges.
    Curry on sandwich bread.
  • Cover the curry with the remaining two sliced of bread with the buttered surface facing up.
    Topping the curry bread off with another slice of buttered bread.
  • Pan-fry the sandwiches one at a time in a frying pan over medium-low heat. Use a small flat lid to gently press on the sandwich, so the bread makes even contact with the pan.
    Pan-frying curry bread with a drop lid to press the sandwich together.
  • When the sandwich has browned on one side, flip it over and place the lid back on the sandwich and let the other side brown.
    Grilled curry bread under a glass drop lid.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 688kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 48g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 119mg | Sodium: 1287mg | Potassium: 649mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 1379IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 393mg | Iron: 5mg