Easy & Simple Malaysian Curry Puff (Karipap)

Easy & Simple Malaysian Curry Puff (Karipap)

Flakey, crispy puffs filled with savory curried potatoes, chicken and onions deep fried in hot oil! This delicious and easy Malaysian curry puff recipe is made from scratch with simple ingredients. A great snack or appetizer for all the curry-lovers! I also share how to air fry or bake these in the oven in the Notes section below.

You may substitute the homemade dough with puff pastry sheets and I share how much below but it won't taste as amazing.

5 from 15 votes

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Prep Time 1 20

Cook Time 20

Total Time 1 40

Course Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine Asian, South-East Asian

Servings pieces

Calories per serving 92 kcal

Ingredients

2-3 cups vegetable oil or any neutral oil for cooking

Filling

5.29 oz skinless boneless chicken thighs finely chopped
1 lb yukon gold potatoes or russet potatoes, peeled & finely diced
½ small onion finely diced
2 bay leaves
4 teaspoon curry powder
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon salt

Dough (or sub with 2 lbs / 908 g store bought puff pastry sheets)

3.5 cups all-purpose flour
1 ¼ cup water room temperature
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup vegetable oil or any neutral oil

Instructions

To make the filling: Heat 1 teaspoon or 5 ml of vegetable oil in a large pan on medium heat. Fry the finely diced chicken until 80% cooked. Add finely diced onions and potatoes, curry powder, salt, turmeric, and bay leaves and mix everything together. Cover and cook until potatoes are fork tender. Remove the bay leaves. Then remove and transfer filling to a large bowl or plate to cool down.
To make the dough: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour and salt. Make a well in the middle of the flour. In a small saucepan, heat ½ cup or 125 ml vegetable oil on medium-high heat until it begins to smoke. Carefully pour the hot oil into the well and let it bubble for 1 minute. Then whisk the flour and oil together. Add water and mix together with a silicone spatula. Knead the dough into a ball with clean hands.
On an evenly floured surface, roll the dough into 1-inch thick log. Then cut the log into 26 x 1-inch wide pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. Roll each ball of dough into a flat 4-inch wide circular wrapper using a rolling pin. Cover the dough wrappers with a clean tea towel to keep them moist.
Fill the center of the wrapper with 1 tablespoon of the filling. Fold the wrapper over the filling. Pinch the edges until fully sealed. Then roll and pleat the edges using your thumb and index finger. Repeat this process until you have 26 curry puffs in total.
Heat 2-inches of vegetable oil in large heavy-bottomed pan on medium heat, around 350 F or insert a wooden utensil into the oil and look for bubbles. Lower 6 curry puffs into the hot oil with a slotted spoon. Fry for 3-4 minutes in total until golden brown, flipping half way.
Remove and transfer to a wire rack or paper-towel lined baking sheet to drain off oil. Let them cool down a bit before enjoying!

Notes

To Air Fry

Preheat the air fryer at 350 F for 4 minutes.

Lightly spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray or neutral oil.

Then place the curry puffs, pleated side up, into the air fryer basket in a single layer without overlap, ensuring there's enough space between the pieces. You will need to air fry in small batches.

Lightly spray cooking spray or neutral oil over the curry puffs. Air fry for 10-14 minutes until golden brown. No need to flip over.

To Bake

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Place the curry puffs on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper or evenly greased with oil.

Place the curry puffs in a single layer onto the baking sheet, pleated side up, with enough space between each piece.

Lightly spray oil over the curry puffs or lightly brush egg wash over each piece.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown, no need to flip.

Storage & Reheating

Cooked curry puffs will last up to 5 days stored in an airtight container in the fridge. To reheat, microwave each puff for 1-2 minutes or bake in the oven or air fry at 350 F for 5-8 minutes until hot.

Cooked curry puffs can be frozen for up to 3 months in the freezer. To freeze: store them in a single layer in a freezer-safe bag and remove any excess air before sealing. Label and date the bag. To reheat, bake from frozen in the oven at 350 F for 17-20 minutes or air fry at 350 F for 7-10 minutes until an internal temperature of 165 F.

Uncooked curry puffs can be refrigerated for up to 5 days in the fridge. Store the curry puffs in a single layer without overlap into an airtight container in the fridge. To cook, fry according to recipe instructions below.

Uncooked curry puffs can be frozen for up to 6 months in the freezer or until you see freezer burn. To freeze: place a freezer-safe bag on a baking sheet and place the curry puffs in a single layer without overlap. Remove excess air in the bag and seal. Label and date the bag and freeze with the baking sheet. Once the puffs are frozen solid, remove the baking sheet. To cook, fry from frozen according to the recipe instructions.

Enjoyed my recipe?Please leave a 5 star review (be kind)! Tag me on social media @christieathome as I'd love to see your creations!

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