Malaysian Curry Puffs (Karipap)

About This Recipe

Karipap, Malaysian curry puffs, encase a warmly spiced potato and chicken filling in a flaky, often laminated pastry, folded into a distinctive crimped half-moon shape before frying or baking. The filling is cooked down with curry powder, onion and a touch of chile until thick and fragrant, the potato providing substance while the curry spices give it real depth without being overwhelmingly hot. Sold everywhere from hawker stalls to modern bakeries across Malaysia, karipap are eaten as a snack any time of day, their crisp, flaky exterior giving way to a comforting, subtly spiced filling within.

Ingredients

Serves 8

• 2.5 cupsall-purpose flour
• 1/2 tspsalt(for dough)
• 1/2 cupcold butter(cubed)
• 1/2 cupcold water(approximate, as needed)
• 2 tbspvegetable oil
• 1onion(diced)
• 3 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 2 tbspcurry powder
• 2potatoes(boiled and diced small)
• 200 gground chicken
• 1/2 cupwater(for filling)
• 1.5 tspsalt(for filling)
• 3 cupsvegetable oil(for frying)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the dough

   Mix flour and salt, cut in cold butter until crumbly, then stir in cold water until a firm dough forms; chill 30 minutes.

2. 2

   Make the filling

   Heat oil and cook onion until soft, add garlic and curry powder, cooking 2 minutes until fragrant.

3. 3

   Cook the chicken

   Add ground chicken, browning until cooked through, then stir in diced potato and water, simmering until thick.

   Cook the filling until genuinely thick and dry — a wet filling will make the pastry soggy and difficult to seal properly.

4. 4

   Season and cool

   Season with salt and let the filling cool completely before assembling.

5. 5

   Roll and cut

   Roll the chilled dough thin and cut into rounds.

6. 6

   Fill and crimp

   Place a spoonful of cooled filling on each round, fold into a half-moon, and crimp the edges tightly, either by hand or with a curry puff mold.

7. 7

   Fry

   Fry in hot oil (350F/175C) for 4-5 minutes, turning, until deeply golden and crisp.

Variations

• •

  A version filled with sardines in curry sauce is a popular, distinctly Malaysian variation.

• •

  Baking instead of frying, at 200C/400F for about 25 minutes, gives a lighter alternative.

• •

  Adding hard-boiled egg pieces to the filling is a traditional touch in some regions.

Storage

Uncooked, filled puffs freeze well; fry directly from frozen, adding a couple of extra minutes. Cooked puffs keep 3 days refrigerated and reheat well in an oven.

Frequently Asked Questions