Malaysian Curry Puffs. Flakey and crispy on the outside, savoury curried potatoes, chicken and onion on the inside. A heavenly and popular pastry for good reason! These curry puffs are commonly found in South East Asia.
When I visited Malaysia, I remember having one of these and it was so incredibly delicious that my eyes nearly rolled to the back of my head. That's how good it was.
Since that moment, I've been wanting to make my own version from scratch but as you know curry puffs do take time and energy as you need to roll out the pastry dough each time and carefully fold, seal and pleat the edges so the filling doesn't spill out.
But honestly, IT'S SO WORTH IT! You can even freeze these (if they last you more than a day!) and anytime you want them, re-heat them in the oven or toaster oven.
Pretty simple to make!
Both the filling and dough are pretty simple to make! For my malaysian chicken curry puff recipe, the filling only 7 ingredients and one of them is optional for colour (turmeric). You just need to peel and dice your potatoes, fry them with some diced onion and minced chicken thighs. Then season with curry powder, bay leaves, salt and turmeric! That's it.
Rolling out the dough and wrapping each one does take time but I gotta say it's quite therapeutic.
How to fold a curry puff?
Fold the wrapper over your filling. Seal the edges tightly.
Then using the tip of your thumb, fold down the edges as you go from right to left. To make tiny pleats, fold more closely to the last fold you created.
How long can you keep curry puff?
You can keep it 4-5 days in the fridge. If you freeze them, they will last about 2-3 weeks in a sealed bag or container.
Can curry puff be kept overnight?
Yes it can but I would recommend storing it in the fridge overnight as my version contains chicken. Then on the day of serving, reheat in the oven or toaster oven.
Where are curry puffs from?
They are from South East Asia. Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Brunei have their own version.
Other Malaysian recipes you may like!
MALAYSIAN CHAR KWAY TEOW
KL HOKKEIN MEE
MALAYSIAN CHICKEN CURRY
MEE GORENG
MALAYSIAN CURRY TOFU
APAM BALIK
For this recipe
You will need the following ingredients for my Malaysian curry puff pastry:
3 cups cooking vegetable oil
Malaysian curry puff filling:
- 150 grams chicken thigh, finely chopped
- 430 grams potatoes peeled diced
- ½ cooking onion, diced
- 4 tsp Curry powder
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 bay leaves
Malaysian curry puff dough:
- 3 ½ cups flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 ¼ cup water
- ⅓ cup + 3 tbsp hot oil
How to make Malaysian curry puff
In a large pan set over medium heat, add 1 tsp cooking oil. Fry your chicken until mostly cooked. Add onions and potatoes, followed by curry powder, salt, turmeric (optional) and bay leaves. Cover and let this cook until potatoes are fork tender. Remove filling from pan and let it cool completely.
Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, add flour and salt. Whisk together. Make a well in the middle.
In another pan, heat your oil on high heat. Place a chopstick or a wooden stick to check if the oil bubbles. Once it bubbles, carefully pour the hot oil into the flour well. Allow this to bubble for 1 minute. Then mix the flour and oil together. Add water and mix everything together with your hands and knead it together. You should form a very oiled ball of dough.
On a floured surface, roll your dough into a long tube. Slice the tube of dough into 26 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball.
Then with a rolling pin, roll it flat into a 4 inch wide circular wrapper.
Fill the wrapper with 1 tbsp of the curried potato chicken filling.
Fold the wrapper over the filling. Pinch the edges together until completely sealed.
Then pleat the edges using your thumb. You may do big or small pleats. The latter is more time consuming but prettier. Repeat this process.
In a large pot filled with 3 cups cooking oil, set it over medium heat. Check for oil for bubbles using a chopstick or wooden spoon. If bubbles form, it's time to fry.
Carefully lower 5-6 curry puffs into the hot oil using a slotted spoon. Fry on each side for 2 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from hot oil and transfer to a paper towel lined plate to cool.
Serve and enjoy your Malaysian potato curry puff!
Give it a try!
Well I hope you give my Malaysian Curry Puff recipe a try! It always excites me when you guys make my recipes and I hope this is one you try.
Thanks for visiting my blog! If you enjoyed this Malaysian chicken curry puff, please share it with your family and friends or on social media! Take a picture if you've made my recipe and tag me on Instagram @ChristieAtHome in your feed or stories so I can share your creation in my stories with credits to you!
Made this recipe and loved it?
If you could leave a star rating for my easy Malaysian curry puff recipe, I would greatly appreciate it 🙂 Thanks so much!
Take care,
Christie
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Malaysian Curry Puff (Karipap)
Ingredients
- 3 cups vegetable oil for frying
Filling
- 150 grams boneless skinless chicken thighs finely chopped
- 430 grams potatoes peeled diced
- ½ yellow onion diced
- 4 tsp Curry powder
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 bay leaves
Wrapper
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour (500 grams)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 ¼ cup water room temperature
- ⅓ cup + 3 tbsp hot oil
Instructions
- In a large pan set over medium heat, add 1 tsp cooking oil. Fry your chicken until mostly cooked. Add onions and potatoes, followed by curry powder, salt, turmeric (optional) and bay leaves. Cover and let this cook until potatoes are fork tender. Remove filling from pan and let it cool completely.
- Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, add flour and salt. Whisk together. Make a well in the middle.
- In another pan, heat your oil on high heat. Place a chopstick or a wooden stick to check if the oil bubbles. Once it bubbles, carefully pour the hot oil into the flour well. Allow this to bubble for 1 minute. Then mix the flour and oil together. Add water and mix everything together with your hands and knead it together. You should form a very oiled ball of dough.
- On a floured surface, roll your dough into a long tube. Slice the tube of dough into 26 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball.
- Then with a rolling pin, roll it flat into a 4 inch wide circular wrapper.
- Fill the wrapper with 1 tbsp of the curried potato chicken filling.
- Fold the wrapper over the filling. Pinch the edges together until completely sealed.
- Then pleat the edges using your thumb. You may do big or small pleats. The latter is more time consuming but prettier. Repeat this process.
- In a large pot filled with 3 cups cooking oil, set it over medium heat. Check for oil for bubbles using a chopstick or wooden spoon. If bubbles form, it's time to fry.
- Carefully lower 5-6 curry puffs into the hot oil using a slotted spoon. Fry on each side for 2 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from hot oil and transfer to a paper towel lined plate to cool.
- Serve and enjoy your Malaysian potato curry puff!
I love the pictures you included in the recipe steps on how to fold these! They are like little curry delights all wrapped up and ready to go hehe
Mmm, now I'm missing my Mom's curry puffs!! These look great, Christie!
These curry puffs look so tempting and delicious! Such a tasty idea, I love it!
These curry puffs look so delicious! I was a little intimidated at the thought of making the curry puff dough, but your instructions made the process so simple.
Love the dough... so soft.... can I bake these? What else can I use this dough for? Pies?
So glad you enjoyed this! Thank you for making my recipe! I haven't tried baking these but if you do, I would spray oil over top, bake at 350 degrees F to start and add more time as needed. I would also flip it half way through so both sides are cooked and golden. You can definitely use this same dough for pies or any baked savoury goods.
I miss my mum Curry puff.
I will try to make one this afternoon, why is the flour and water measurement in gram, please? Rather confused with measurement with cup size (US or UK)
Thanks
Yoke
I hope you enjoy it! For any dough like recipes I prefer to instruct in grams for exact measurements so that anyone in the UK or America won't make the recipe wrong since cup measurements seem to differ in the US, Canada, UK, etc.
I would love to try your recipe. It sounds so promising especially as it makes a large batch. When you add in the water to the dough, is it cold water. Also, the flour measurement is in cup. May i please have the measurement in grams? When I google i get different answers. Thanks
Thank you so much! 😊 I hope you enjoy it! I’ve included the measurement in grams (500 grams of flour) and it should be room temperature water. Everything has been updated in the recipe card below the blog post. Happy cooking!
Tried your recipe and it's really good and the dough was a dream to work with. Only thing is I made it a little too thick. Will roll it out thinner next time. Can these be made ahead, filled n crimped n stored in the freezer. How long will they last. Do we need to drop it onto hot oil straight out of the freezer or should it be thawed first?
Awesome to hear! You can make them ahead and freeze them in an air tight container - they should last a few months or until you see freezer burn essentially. You can carefully lower them into the hot oil frozen. Just be careful of oil splatter due to the moisture.
Hi Christine. I tried it out this recipe and speaking as a Malaysian, it was absolutely spot on. The pastry was crispy, light and tasty - something I hadn’t been able to achieve before. So Thank you for this fab recipe.
Thank you so much Asha for this kind comment! I am so happy you enjoyed it 🙂 Have a lovely day!
I have been trying out various doughs for baked samosas for the past year, and FINALLY found the perfect one- this recipe! It rolls out nice and thin without tearing, and remains flexible when shaping. I bake for about 20 minutes at 400 degrees and they come out lightly browned, crispy, but not hard. Thank you so much!
Thank you so much Marietta for sharing your comment with me! I am so happy to hear that this dough works well for you. It's also tricky to find the right one isn't it! Have a lovely day! - Christie
Could I bake these instead of frying? What temperature should I put it at and for how long?🤔
Yes you can bake at 400 degrees F for 15-20 mins until golden and brown. Hope this helps!
Hi Christie, I nid clarification on dough preparation.. the oil 1/3 and 3 teaspoons.. is it heat hot 3 tablespoons, then pour into hole of prepared dough flour , then separately add 1/3 cup (1 third) cold oil to the prepared dough..thank you !
Hi Susan! For the dough preparation, you can heat 1/3 cup plus 3 tbsp of oil all heated and then poured into the flour. I had to be precise with the oil hence the "separation" but it's really all inclusive. Hope this helps!
I just make this today & my oh my it's the best!!!!!!!
Thank you for sharing ♥️
So happy to hear that it went well! Thanks so much for making my recipe Catherine! 🙂
What oil do you use for the pastry. Are going to make these today.
Any neutral oil like avocado oil, vegetable oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, peanut oil, or canola oil. Avoid using olive oil, coconut oil or sesame oil