Curry Mushi-pan (Japanese Steamed Buns)
カレー蒸しパン · Curry Mushi-pan
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
Mushi-pan are soft, fluffy Japanese steamed buns, made from a simple flour-and-milk batter that puffs up in the steamer instead of the oven. This savory version hides a mildly spiced filling of ground pork, carrot and onion inside each bun, so children get vegetables and protein in one hand-held bite. The curry is kept gentle for young palates, and the tender, pillowy texture makes these easy for even the littlest eaters to enjoy. In preschool kitchens we serve them as a main dish or an afternoon snack.
Added. Open the recipe helper (bottom right) → ☰ Menu → 🛒 Shopping list to see the ingredients for your family size.
Printing uses the number of adults and children set under Ingredients, so set those first.

Ingredients
Amounts for 1 child (1 serving). An adult counts as 2 servings.
One serving here is 1.5× the portion served to a child in a Japanese preschool, sized for Western appetites. An adult counts as two servings. Tap an ingredient to check it off.
Ingredients
- 7.5 gcarrot
- 13.5 gonion
- 12 gground pork
- 30 gflour
- 27 gmilk
Seasonings
- 0.8 gvegetable oil
- 0.3 gcurry powder
- 0.2 gsalt
- 1.2 gbaking powder
- 7.5 gsugar
- 5.4 gvegetable oil
Directions
- 1
Finely mince the carrot and onion. Heat the oil in a frying pan and sauté the vegetables well, then add the ground pork. Season with the curry powder and salt.
- 2
Put the flour, baking powder and sugar in a bowl and whisk together thoroughly.
- 3
Add the milk and mix until almost no dry flour remains, then add the oil and mix it in.
- 4
Spoon a little batter into each cup, top with the filling from step 1, then pour more batter over the top.
- 5
Arrange the cups in a steamer, cover, and steam over high heat for about 10 minutes.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 241.5 kcal | 483 kcal | 241.5 kcal |
| Protein | 5.7 g | 11.4 g | 5.7 g |
| Fat | 9.8 g | 19.5 g | 9.8 g |
| Carbohydrates | 35.8 g | 71.7 g | 35.8 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0.5 g | 0.9 g | 0.5 g |
| Calcium | 70.5 mg | 141 mg | 70.5 mg |
| Iron | 0.6 mg | 1.2 mg | 0.6 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 241.5 kcal | 5.7 g | 9.8 g | 35.8 g | 0.5 g | 70.5 mg | 0.6 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 483 kcal | 11.4 g | 19.5 g | 71.7 g | 0.9 g | 141 mg | 1.2 mg |
Values are per serving (1.5× the Japanese preschool portion); an adult serving is double. They were calculated by a licensed Japanese nutritionist using the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan. "Salt equivalent" is sodium × 2.54, the standard Japanese measure. Allergen flags cover egg, milk and wheat only and come from the nutritionist's records. Soy sauce and miso are made with wheat but are usually allowed on Japanese wheat-free school menus, so check with your doctor.





