Tamago Kare Pan
Curried Japanese Eggplant Curry, Curry Butter, Croissant
Chef Sungae Lee of La Maison by Cafe Dear Leon | Baltimore, MD
Adapted by StarChefs | March 2026 | Photo: Will blunt
INGREDIENTS
Potato Purée:
1 kilogram confit potato
10 grams garam masala
10 grams kosher salt
Eggplant Curry:
2.4 kilograms diced Japanese eggplant
20 grams kosher salt
Neutral oil
1.2 kilograms sofrito
200 grams diced onions
400 grams tonkatsu sauce
60 grams soy sauce
20 grams curry powder
500 grams mirin
230 grams unsalted butter
Kare raisu
Curry Butter:
450 grams unsalted butter
4 cloves garlic, finely grated
10 grams Japanese curry powder
48 grams soy sauce
Sesame oil
To Assemble and Serve:
1 round laminated dough
1 dashi egg, halved
Pickled red onions
Sliced scallions
Crispy shallots
Toasted black sesame seeds
Piparras peppers
METHOD
For the Potato Purée:
In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and 200 grams water. Using a Vitamix Commercial immersion blender, purée until smooth. Set aside.
For the Eggplant Curry:
In a mixing bowl, combine eggplant and salt. Let sit 10 minutes at room temperature. Pat dry and set aside. In a saucepan over medium-high flame, heat oil. Add salted eggplant and cook until fork-tender and slightly browned. Add sofrito and onions. Cook until fragrant. Add tonkatsu sauce, soy sauce, and curry powder. Cook 5 minutes. Add mirin, butter, desired amount kare, and 1.4 kilograms water. Let simmer until roux melts and mixtures thickens to desired consistency. Fold in Potato Purée. Using a Vitamix Commercial immersion blender, purée until smooth. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate.
For the Curry Butter:
In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add garlic and sweat 3 minutes. Add curry powder. Cook until fragrant. Remove from heat and stir in soy sauce. Season with sesame oil. Let cool.
To Assemble and Serve:
Heat oven to 350°F. Place laminated dough on silicone-lined sheet tray. Bake 13 minutes. Fill par-baked croissant with 55 grams Eggplant Curry. Bake additional 13 minutes. Brush with Curry Butter. Top with dashi egg, pickled red onions, scallions, shallots, sesame seeds, and piparras peppers.
