Fried curry-filled buns (Karē pan)

1. Mix the bread flour with the yeast, sugar and salt, add the lukewarm milk and egg and knead for 5 minutes, then work in the soft butter and knead for another 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic; cover and prove for 1 hour.

2. For the filling, sweat the finely chopped onion and the finely diced carrot and potato in the oil for 5 minutes, add the mince and fry until crumbly.

3. Sprinkle with the curry powder and flour, fry for 1 minute, then add the soy sauce, ketchup and water and cook for 10-12 minutes until the vegetables are soft and the mixture is thick and spreadable; cool completely.

4. Divide the risen dough into 8, flatten each into a palm-sized disc, put a tablespoon of filling in the middle and pinch the edges together carefully to form an oval bun.

5. Dip the buns in beaten egg, roll in panko and prove seam-side down, covered, for 20 minutes.

6. Heat the oil to 170 °C and fry the buns in batches, turning, for 5-6 minutes until golden, then drain on kitchen paper and serve warm.

Tip: Karē pan is a favourite at Japanese bakeries: crisp outside, soft and spicy inside. Pinch the seams carefully, as the filling will leak through an open seam. For a lighter version, you can bake them at 200 °C for 15 minutes.