Kabocha Croquettes

There are many ways to make croquettes and this is the most popular version at Tanpopo.  When we first opened the restaurant, we served croquettes with potato, shiitake mushrooms and, beef but quickly started playing with ingredients to create new variations.  In this recipe, we added the Kabocha squash to the potato to brighten the color and add the rich texture and sweetness to the original croquettes. Adding a blend of strongly spiced curry powder helps deepens the flavor. 

-This recipe was requested by Jeremy Lund, a former employee of Tanpopo and a silkscreen artist living in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Thanks, Jeremey!

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Kabocha Croquettes

Cooked potato and Kabocha squash are blended with ground beef and onions with a hint of curry. Panko breaded and deep-fried for perfection. Serve with Tonkatsu sauce, a popular Japanese brown sauce.

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine asian, Japanese

Keyword beef, curry powder, kabocha squash, onion, panko, potatoes, tonkatsu sauce

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Servings 4 people

Cost $20.00

Ingredients

• 300 grams potato (2 Russet or 3-4 Yukon Gold) peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 150 grams Kabocha squash peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 115 grams ground beef
• 40 grams yellow onion chopped
• 1-2 teaspoon curry powder I use S&B brand
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 (or more) cup Japanese panko
• 1 egg mix with 1 tablespoon of water
• 1/4 cup flour for dusting
• vegetable oil for drying
• Tonkatsu sauce

Instructions

• Fill a medium pot with enough cold water to cover all potatoes and kabocha.   Add potato to the pot with cold water and turn the heat high. Cook the potato until the water starts boiling.  Turn the heat low and cook the potato for another 5 minutes. Once the potatoes are halfway cooked, add kabocha and cook for another 5-7 minutes, until soft but not mushy.  
  
• While the potatoes and kabocha are cooking, heat a saute pan on a stovetop and add 1 teaspoon of cooking oil.  Add chopped onion and cook for a minute or two then add beef. Cook the beef until it’s cooked through then add salt and curry powder.  Turn the heat off and set it aside.  
• When potatoes and kabocha are cooked, drain the water completely then start mashing.  Add beef and onion to the mixture until beef is well incorporated with potatoes and kabocha.  Let it cool slightly but not cold.  
  
• Start making croquettes by dividing the mixture into 8.  First, hold the mixture into a ball, then flatten to make it into an oval shape.  
  
• Prepare the assembly line of flour, egg mixture and panko.  Dredge croquettes in flour, then in egg mixture then to the panko.  Gently press croquettes onto the panko. Shake off any excess.  
  
• Put enough vegetable oil in a pan deep enough to cover croquettes and heat it to 325 degrees.  Once the temperature reaches 325 degrees, gently fry the croquette without overcrowding the pan. Fry croquettes until they are golden brown.  Take them out on paper towels to drain excess oil. Serve hot with Tonkatsu sauce (Japanese brown sauce).