Japanese Curry Egg Salad

If you’ve ever been to Kauai before you know that one of the first things you’ll notice after stepping on the island are the wild chickens randomly roaming about.

The first time you see a wild chicken in Kauai, you think that there must be some farm or ranch around the corner that accidentally let some chickens out.  The chickens wander freely all over the island–you’ll see them at the McDonald’s drive thru, at the rental car station, and waiting by the shave ice huts…everywhere!  These chickens are one of the reasons that the locals remind you to “Drive with Aloha.”

You’ll also commonly see these colorful chickens crossing many of Kauai’s 2 lane roads, taking their sweet time.  Apparently, the wild chickens, also called moa, are the descendents of the ancient Polynesians, and have been around for hundreds of years.  The feral chickens have no natural predators, and are considered to be both a treasure and a nuisance, not necessarily in that order.  By observing them, it becomes very clear that they are the inhabitants and we are the visitors.  For me, the chickens definitely add to the charm of vacationing in a small, peaceful island like Kauai.

kauai rooster

The wild chickens in Kauai are very lucky as they probably won’t ever make it into a sandwich of any kind, much less my Japanese Curry Egg Salad Sandwiches.  I put this recipe together shortly after posting my decorated Kokeshi Doll Eggs for Easter, as I was excited for my trip and wanted to make an egg salad recipe that truly tasted like something you would enjoy in the islands.

This recipe good way to use up the last of those extra eggs you bought for your Easter festivities but never got around to decorating.  Consider it a straight forward, simple egg salad recipe that been infused with easy-to-find Hawaiian and Japanese flavors.  These are really tasty when served on Hawaiian bread, either the sliced kind or the rolls.  They are perfect with a cup of rich, sweet Japanese tea like Houjicha, a roasted green tea.

Today I’d like to leave you with a picture of the luckiest chicken alive.  I found this hen perched atop the hill overlooking Hanalei Valley, a field filled with taro farms and an old rice mill.  No predators, a ton of bugs to eat, lots of sunshine, and a view like this…not a bad life for a crazy little chicken!

Japanese Curry Egg Salad

Makes 2 sandwiches.  

Ingredients:

3 eggs, hard-boiled and chopped

2 Tbsp Kewpie Mayonnaise

3/4 tsp Japanese curry powder

squirt of Sriracha

1 green onion, thinly sliced, green part only

1 Tbsp chopped cilantro

dash white pepper

salt to taste

Hawaiian sweet bread

handful of salad greens

tomatoes for garnish

Equipment:

small mixing bowl

Directions:

1.)  Mix all ingredients together in a small mixing bowl and layer on toasted Hawaiian sweet bread with salad greens.  Garnish with sliced mini tomatoes and enjoy!

Leave a Reply to bonnieeng Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Patty Nguyen

Your egg salad sounds delightful, Bonnie! I love kewpie mayo and what a great idea to add Japanese curry to it! Those chickens are so cute. Are they friendly or did they try to peck at you??

Reply
bonnieeng

They didn’t peck because I wasn’t foolish enough too get close. As I’m sure you already know, that zoom feature on the camera always helps! A hen got super close when I was having a Hawaiian BBQ plate lunch by the beach, but I kept throwing bits of white rice a few feet away so that I could enjoy my meal! =)

Reply
shootingvienna

Free and wild chicken on Kauai? One always learns something new and the picture of that chicken overlooking the rice fields is a really great capture! What exactly is Hawaiian bread? Is it perhaps similar to brioche bread? I never heard of it, nothing I would get here in Austria I believe. Your dish looks really yummy though 🙂

Reply
bonnieeng

Haha, that’s right they don’t sell Hawaiian bread in Vienna! The original recipe for Hawaiian bread actually comes from the Portuguese sweet bread called Pao Doce. Apparently, it was brought over to Hawaii when the Portuguese immigrated there. Like brioche, Hawaiian bread is an enriched bread, but doesn’t have as much butter or eggs in it. It still does have that fluffy, soft texture though, and is slightly sweeter. Hope you can try it someday Beatrice, it’s delicious! 😉

Reply
Lokness

I didn’t know there are wild chickens in Kauai. I would love to see them! I love any kind of wild animals. It is fascinating to see them in their natural environments. This sandwich would make a great take-to-work lunch for my husband! I know he would love this, especially with that sweet Hawaiian bread. Love this recipe!

Reply
bonnieeng

Oh, I hope you can try it! My hubby was the taste tester and he really enjoyed it. Super simple to throw together too. =) Thanks Lokness!!

Reply
miss mochi

This sando looks amazing! I especially like the idea of using a Hawaiian sweet bread, as I think the sweet soft bread would be a great accompaniment to the curry.

Reply
bonnieeng

Thanks Miss Mochi!! It’s really tasty, and yes, the Hawaiian bread makes it just right. Just “liked” you on FB–congrats on the new page! =)

Reply
bonnieeng

Hey Margie! So Kewpie Mayo is a Japanese brand of mayo thats a bit creamier than American brands. It’s made from rice vinegar instead of regular distilled vinegar, so it’s basically an Asian take on a mayonnaise.

If you’ve ever eaten a Japanese potato salad or something else Japanese with mayo in it, chances are it was made Kewpie Mayo. That being said, don’t worry if you can’t find it! Regular mayo (or light mayo) will still taste really great in these sandwiches–this really won’t make a huge difference, as the curry is the most dominant flavor here. Thanks Margie!! I’ll be in touch! 😉

Reply
afracooking

Man, am I happy that I finally have some time again to browse my favourite blogs. I really have to tell you that I love yours – I always look forward to visiting you as I know you will suprise me. You have such original recipes …and always such beautiful photography 🙂

Reply
bonnieeng

You are too kind, that totally makes my day! I love your blog too and am always looking forward to each new post! Happy Monday Afra, and thanks again!! 😉

Reply
Karrie

I just made this for lunch and it was very tasty. Thanks for such a great and simple recipe.

Reply
Annie

Hi Patty! Would this work with normal curry powder? I don’t have Japanese powder, just Trader Joe’s curry powder. Thanks!

Reply
wien yves saint laurent

Thanks for some other informative web site. Where else could
I get that type of information written in such an ideal way?
I have a project that I am simply now working on,and I have been at the glance out
for such information.

Reply
<< PREVIOUS POST NEXT POST >>