Beef Curry Puffs (Video)

These savory Japanese beef curry puffs are flaky and full of flavors. They are perfect for Thanksgiving and using frozen puff pastry makes this recipe extremely simple!

When I visited Japan, I tried a fried bread called karepan, which is deep-fried bread coated with panko bread crumbs and stuffed with Japanese curry. It was absolutely delicious and perfect for the cold weather. The food stall was small, but popular as many tourists and locals waited for their karepan. Japanese curry is basic but flavorful as it includes just a few main ingredients such as beef or pork, carrots, onions, and sometimes potatoes. The curry roux can be made from scratch, but nowadays, most people use pre-made curry roux such as S&B Golden Curry and House Vermont Curry. Since the curry is so simple to make, I thought I might as well make my own curry and instead of stuffing it in bread, stuff it in puff pastry… because puff pastry is one of my favorite foods in the world. Anything that is flaky and buttery is irresistible! Of course you can make your own puff pastry, but homemade puff pastry can be tricky to make, so I used frozen puff pastry sheets for convenience.

For this pastry, I added a leaf design on the top which can be achieved with 2 egg washes and chilling periods in between. When working with puff pastry, it is important to keep the dough chilled all the time, otherwise the pastry will not achieve a good rise. I cut out 8 rounds from 2 sheets of Pepperidge Farm puff pastry using the 4 in. (or 3.9 in.) cutter from Kayaso 12-pack round cutters.

With Thanksgiving coming up, I felt that these beautiful pastries would be a perfect appetizer or side dish. Impress your friends and/or family with this simple recipe!

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Beef Curry Puffs

yield: 8 medium puffs

total cook time: 5 hrs.

Ingredients:

• 14 g. or 1 tbsp. oil
• 275 g. or 2 c. lean ground beef (85% lean)
• 6 g. or 2 tsp. minced garlic
• 75 g. or 1 small chopped yellow onion
• 40 g. or 1/3 c. chopped carrots
• 1 g. or 1/4 tsp. salt and 1 g. or 1/4 tsp. pepper to taste
• 240 g. or 1 c. water
• 45 g. or 2 tbsp. Japanese curry mix (like S&B Golden Curry and House Vermont Curry)
• 1 egg yolk
• 10 g. or 2 tsp. milk of choice
• 2 sheets/1 pkg. puff pastry (Pepperidge Farm), thawed for 25-30 min.

Directions:

1. In a skillet over medium heat, add oil and cook ground beef until just done. Drain the beef and set aside. Leave the oil in the pan.
2. Add the garlic in the oil and sautee for 1 min. Add in the onion, carrots, and salt and pepper, and cook until tender. Add in the beef and cook for 2 min.
3. Add 1 c. water and bring to a boil. Add the curry mix and cover the skillet. Allow to simmer at low heat for 8-10 min. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Chill for at least 4 hours.
4. Beat the egg and milk together for an egg wash.
5. Once the mixture is chilled completely, take out the puff pastry and cut out four, 4 in. circles per sheet to yield 8 total rounds. I use the 4 in. (or 3.9 in.) cutter from Kayaso 12-pack round cutters.
6. Roll each round out to an oval, while keeping the sides thicker than the middle. Add in about 1 1/2 tbsp. of beef filling and lightly brush the inside of the pastry with egg wash. Fold the pastry over and press down on the edges. Repeat for remaining pastry.
7. Place the pastry on a baking sheet and brush with egg wash. Chill for 10 min. Brush on egg wash a second time and chill for 10 more min.
8. Use a knife to create the leaf pattern. Chill for another 10 min.
9. Bake the pastry in a preheated oven at 400 F for 25-30 min, until golden brown.
10. Allow pastry to cool for 5 min. and enjoy!

Note: the pastry can be refrigerated up to 5 days for freshness. Best way to reheat is to use an air fryer.

*Nutrition facts are estimates.

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