Singapore Curry Puff (Karipap)
Karipap Say it: kah-ree-PAP
Curry puff is a beloved Singapore snack sold at hawker stalls, bakeries and coffee shops, eaten for breakfast, tea or any time of day. A crisp, flaky pastry encloses a mildly spiced filling of curry potatoes, peas and hard-boiled egg. The best puffs are fried until shatteringly crisp, with a soft, savory center. It is a handy, satisfying parcel that reflects the city’s Indian, Malay and Chinese food traditions.
Singapore Curry Puff (Karipap)
Karipap
Pronounced kah-ree-PAP
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 45 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 1 hr 15 min
- Level
- Medium
Also nut-free.
Allergens: contains gluten, egg. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
Filling
Water dough
Oil dough
Frying
Method
Put the potatoes in a saucepan, cover with water, bring to a boil, and cook for 8-10 minutes until just tender but not crumbling. At the same time, boil the eggs for 9 minutes, then cool, peel, and cut each into 6 wedges.
Drain the potatoes. Heat 2 tbsp (30 ml) oil in a wide pan over medium heat, add the onion, and cook for 4-5 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and curry powder and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant, then add the potatoes, salt, sugar, pepper, and water. Simmer for 3-4 minutes until the liquid is absorbed and the potatoes are coated, stir in the peas, and cook for 1 minute. Cool completely.
For the water dough, mix 2 cups (250 g) flour and 1/2 tsp (3 g) salt in a bowl. Add 2 tbsp (30 ml) oil and rub it in until crumbly, then add 1/2 cup (120 ml) cold water and knead for 5 minutes until smooth and soft. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
For the oil dough, mix 1 cup (125 g) flour and 1/3 cup (80 ml) oil until a soft, smooth paste forms. Cover and rest alongside the water dough.
Divide both doughs into 12 equal pieces. Flatten a water-dough piece into a disk, put an oil-dough piece in the center, and pinch the edges to seal. Roll into an oval, roll up like a cigar, turn 90 degrees and repeat, then flatten into a 4-inch (10 cm) circle. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Place 2 tbsp (30 ml) cooled filling and 1 egg wedge on one half of a circle, leaving a 1/2-inch (1 cm) border. Fold over, press out the air, and crimp the edge with a fork or pleat it tightly. Repeat with the remaining pastry and filling.
Heat 6 cups (1.5 L) oil in a deep pot to 350°F (175°C). Fry the puffs in batches of 4 for 4-5 minutes, turning once, until deep golden and crisp. Drain on a wire rack and serve warm.
Regional variant: Spiral Curry Puff (Karipap Pusing)
Make the same filling, but roll the water dough into a rectangle, spread the oil dough over it, and roll up tightly. Cut the log into 12 spirals, flatten each cut side into a circle, then fill and fry as above; the spiral cut gives extra flaky layers.
Cook's notes
- Keep the dough covered as you work so it does not dry out and crack.
- Cool the filling completely before wrapping; warm filling softens the pastry and can cause blowouts.
- Maintain the oil at 350°F (175°C): too hot and the pastry browns before the filling heats through, too cool and the puffs turn greasy.
Serve with
Serve warm with sweet chili sauce, cucumber slices and strong tea or kopi.
Make ahead and storage
Cool fried puffs completely and refrigerate up to 3 days; reheat at 350°F (175°C) for 10 minutes. Unbaked puffs freeze well for up to 1 month—fry from frozen at 350°F (175°C).
