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How to cook Curry puff

A curry puff is a golden, flaky pastry pocket filled with mild, turmeric-spiced curried potato and chicken, with a slice of hard-boiled egg tucked inside. This version uses a two-part dough (a water dough wrapped around a fat dough) for crisp, layered pastry, and a crimped half-moon edge that seals in the filling.

Ingredients

For the curry filling

• 300 g potatoes, peeled and cut into 7 mm cubes
• 150 g boneless chicken thigh, finely diced
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp ginger, minced
• 2 tbsp meat curry powder
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp chilli powder (optional, adjust to taste)
• 1 sprig curry leaves (about 12 leaves)
• 3 tbsp cooking oil
• 100 ml water
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt, or to taste
• 2 eggs, hard-boiled, peeled and cut into 8 thin slices total

For the water dough (outer layer)

• 200 g plain flour
• 30 g unsalted butter or margarine, cold, cubed
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 90 ml cold water, plus a little more if needed

For the oil dough (inner layer)

• 100 g plain flour
• 60 g unsalted butter or margarine, cold, cubed

For finishing and frying

• 1 egg yolk mixed with 1 tsp water (egg wash, optional for baking)
• 1 litre cooking oil for deep-frying

Steps

1. Cook the potatoes10 min
   Place the diced potatoes in a pot of salted water, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium and simmer for 5 to 6 minutes until just tender but still holding their shape (a fork goes in with slight resistance). Drain well and set aside.
2. Fry the aromatics6 min
   Heat 3 tbsp oil in a wok or wide pan over medium heat. Add the onion and fry for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring, until soft and lightly golden. Add garlic, ginger and curry leaves and fry 1 minute until fragrant.
3. Fry the spices2 min
   Mix the curry powder, turmeric and chilli powder with 2 tbsp of the 100 ml water to make a paste. Add to the pan and fry over medium-low heat for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the oil begins to separate at the edges and the smell is rich and toasty.
4. Cook the chicken4 min
   Add the diced chicken and stir over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes until the pieces turn opaque on the outside and are coated in the spice paste.
5. Simmer the filling40 min
   Add the potatoes, remaining water, sugar and salt. Stir, then simmer over medium-low heat for 5 to 6 minutes, crushing a few potato cubes against the pan to thicken. The filling should be thick and dry enough to hold together on a spoon, not runny. Taste and adjust salt, then spread on a tray and cool completely (at least 30 minutes), as warm filling will tear the dough.
6. Make the water dough35 min
   Rub the cold butter into the 200 g flour, sugar and salt with your fingertips until it resembles coarse crumbs. Add the cold water gradually, mixing until a soft, smooth dough forms. Knead for 2 to 3 minutes, then wrap and rest for 30 minutes.
7. Make the oil dough5 min
   Rub the 60 g cold butter into the 100 g flour and press together into a smooth, soft dough. Do not overwork. Wrap and rest alongside the water dough.
8. Divide the doughs8 min
   Divide the water dough into 16 equal pieces (about 17 g each) and the oil dough into 16 equal pieces (about 10 g each). Roll each into a ball and keep covered with a damp cloth so they do not dry out.
9. Enclose and roll the layers25 min
   Flatten a water dough ball into a disc, place an oil dough ball in the centre, and pinch the edges closed to enclose it. Roll into a thin oval, roll up tightly like a Swiss roll, then turn the roll 90 degrees, flatten slightly, and roll up again from the short end. This creates the spiral layers. Repeat with all pieces and rest 10 minutes covered.
10. Shape the discs15 min
    Press each rolled piece flat with the palm, then roll out to a 9 to 10 cm round, with the spiral cut-side facing up for visible layers. Keep the edges slightly thinner than the centre.
11. Fill and seal10 min
    Place 1 heaped tbsp of cooled filling and half a slice of hard-boiled egg in the centre of a round. Fold over into a half-moon and press the edges to seal firmly with no air pockets.
12. Crimp the edge15 min
    Starting at one corner, fold and pinch the edge into a small rope-like pleat all along the curve, pressing each fold down firmly so the filling cannot leak during frying. Repeat for all puffs.
13. Deep-fry the puffs25 min
    Heat 1 litre oil in a deep pot or wok to 160 to 170 C (a small piece of dough sinks, then rises slowly with gentle bubbles). Fry 4 to 5 puffs at a time over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes, turning gently, until deep golden and crisp. The layers will puff and separate slightly.
14. Drain and cool5 min
    Lift out with a slotted spoon, drain on a wire rack or paper towels, and cool for 5 minutes before serving, as the filling stays very hot inside. Alternative: for baking, brush with egg wash and bake at 190 C for 25 to 30 minutes until golden, though the texture will be drier than frying.

Tips

• Cool the filling fully and keep it fairly dry; a wet filling makes the pastry soggy and causes bursts in the oil.
• Keep the butter cold when making the doughs for flakier layers.
• Fry at moderate heat: oil that is too hot browns the outside before the pastry cooks through, while oil that is too cool makes greasy puffs.
• Press out air pockets when sealing so the puffs do not balloon and split.
• Un-fried shaped puffs freeze well on a tray, then in a bag; fry straight from frozen at slightly lower heat for a couple of extra minutes.

Food safety and allergens

Make sure the chicken is cooked through with no pink, and cool the filling quickly then refrigerate if not using within an hour. Cooked puffs keep in the fridge for up to 2 days; reheat in an oven until piping hot throughout.

Contains: dairy, egg, wheat

Watch it being made

• Best Snack in Southeast Asia? Singaporean / Malaysian Chicken Curry PuffThe Meatmen Channel · 1,207,309 views · YouTube
• Curry Puff | Karipap | Epok-epok | 咖哩角 | 咖哩饺 [Nyonya Cooking]Nyonya Cooking · 309,548 views · YouTube
• Baked Curry Puff (Flaky Pastry)Bake with Paws · 146,726 views · YouTube

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