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1
Combine flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add beaten eggs and warmed milk; mix to a shaggy dough. Work in the softened butter in stages, kneading until the dough is smooth, elastic, and pulls cleanly from the bowl. Divide into two equal portions — one for melon pan, one for curry pan. Cover each and leave in a warm place until doubled in volume. The dough is ready when a floured finger pressed into it leaves an indentation that holds without springing back.
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2
Prepare the curry pan filling while the dough proofs. Cook minced meat and finely chopped onion together over medium heat, breaking up the meat thoroughly, until all rendered fat and moisture have evaporated. Crumble in the curry roux block and stir until absorbed. The filling is done when it is dry enough to be portioned by an ice cream scoop and holds its shape — this is not a wet curry. Spread on a tray and cool completely before use.
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3
Make the melon pan cookie crust. Beat softened butter and caster sugar together until pale and slightly fluffy. Add beaten egg and combine. Fold in sifted flour and baking powder to form a soft, pliable dough — similar to shortbread but slightly more tender. Do not overwork. Divide into 8 equal portions, flatten each between sheets of cling film into a disc approximately 8 cm across, and refrigerate until the enriched dough is ready.
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4
Divide the melon pan dough portion into 8 equal pieces. Shape each into a smooth round and place on lined baking trays, spaced well apart. Peel a chilled cookie disc from its cling film and lay it over the top of each roll, pressing gently and stretching the disc to cover the dome of the dough. Roll each coated roll in granulated sugar, then use a bench scraper or knife to score the cookie surface in a cross-hatch pattern, pressing lightly — this is the grid that mimics a melon's netting. This is where the melon pan lives or dies: the cookie crust must be thin and evenly applied; too thick a layer loses the defining crisp-versus-pillowy contrast that is the purpose of the preparation. Leave to prove for 20 minutes.
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5
Bake melon pan at 175 °C for 12 minutes. The cookie crust is set and done when it has taken on a uniform pale gold across its entire surface and the scored lines have opened slightly. Remove and cool on a rack for no more than 15 minutes before serving — the cookie crust softens as the bread cools and must be eaten the day of baking.
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6
Divide the curry pan dough portion into 8 equal pieces. Flatten each into a round approximately 10 cm across. Place a portioned ball of dry curry filling at the centre. Bring the dough up around the filling, pinching firmly to seal — no gaps. Roll smooth-side up. Brush each roll with beaten egg and coat thoroughly in panko. Place sealed-side down on a tray and leave to double-proof for 30 minutes until visibly puffed.
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7
Heat neutral oil to 170 °C in a deep pan. Lower the panko-coated rolls in gently, sealed-side down, in batches — do not crowd. Fry, turning once, until the panko is a deep, even amber and the crust is audibly crisp when tapped. Drain on a rack. The curry pan is done when the exterior is uniformly mahogany-gold and crackling under gentle pressure.