Chocolate Curry Buns – Black Butler
Ingredients:
- Curry roux:
- 3 tbsp. butter
- ⅓ cup flour
- 2 tbsp.. garam masala
- 1-2 tsp freshly ground black pepper (depending on how spicy you want it)
- 1 tbs. tomato paste
- 1 tbs. Worcestershire sauce
- Dough:
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. dry yeast
- 2 tbsp. sugar
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tbsp. skim milk powder
- ½ cup water
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp. butter
- Filling:
- 2 tbsp. oil
- 1 small onion, sliced thin
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- ½ pound beef chuck roast, cubed, or stew meat
- ¼ cup red wine (substitute 1/8 cup balsamic vinegar and 1/8 cup all-natural grape juice if you can’t get wine)
- 1 carrot
- 1 medium pre-cooked yukon gold potato
- 1 tbsp. apple puree or apple sauce
- 1 cardamom pod
- 1 whole star anise pod
- 1 bay leaf
- ⅓ cup peas (optional)
- Half of a bar of dark chocolate
Instructions:
- First, we’re going to start with the roux. Melt the butter over medium low heat.
- Add the flour and whisk the butter and flour together in the pan until the mixture turns a golden brown.
- Add the garam masala and black pepper and stir to combine, then add the tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce and combine. Continue to cook until it becomes thick and paste-like. Remove from heat and set aside until the meat and veggies are ready.
- Combine yeast, water, and sugar in a bowl. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes, until foamy.
- Add the rest of the dough ingredients and knead for 8-10 minutes.
- Cover with a dish towel and allow dough to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 to 1½ hours. If it’s cool in the kitchen, I frequently turn on a stove top burner, and let the dough sit on the counter near it to help the rising process.
- Divide the dough into 8 equal portions. Let rest for 10 minutes (make sure not to let them dry out, cover them with a damp paper towel or two).
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in your pan. Pat the beef down with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture, sprinkle some salt and pepper on the meat, and dust with a bit of flour. Once the pan is hot, add your meat, cooking for about 6-7 minutes on each side, or until nice and brown. Then, put the meat into a bowl and set aside.
- Heat oil in a pan, and saute onion and garlic. While sauteing, grind the cardamom and anise.
- Add the browned beef, wine, water, carrots, potatoes, salt, apple puree, cardamom, anise, and bay leaf, and then bring to a boil over high heat.
- Turn the heat down to medium low and simmer partially covered until the carrots are tender (about 45 minutes).
- Add in the curry roux that you set aside in step 3 and the chocolate, and stir until the roux and liquid in the pan combine and thicken into a nice curry sauce. Set aside to cool, and don’t forget to remove the bay leaf.
- Dust your hands with flour! Flatten the dough balls into a round disc, place a spoonful of filling in the middle, and wrap wrap the edges around the filling. Gently shape each dough ball into a bun.
- In a frying pan, heat about an inch of oil (vegetable, canola, or sunflower oil are preferred). Add the buns, however many will fit in your pan at a time. Fry them on medium/low until golden brown, turning over to cook each side.
- Let them cool, then present to the judges. Or your friends. Or just eat them yourself.