Malaysian Curry Puffs (Karipap)
Karipap Say it: kah-ree-pap
Karipap is Malaysia’s beloved deep-fried curry puff: a crisp, golden pastry shell wrapped around a fragrant, softly curried filling of potato and chicken. Sold at roadside stalls, markets and family kitchens nationwide, it is eaten as a mid-morning or afternoon snack with tea or coffee. The filling is gently sweet, savoury and warmly spiced, while the flaky crust shatters lightly. Small enough for two bites yet richly satisfying, it is the snack that turns simple curry into something portable and irresistible.
Malaysian Curry Puffs (Karipap)
Karipap
Pronounced kah-ree-pap
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 45 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 1 hr 15 min
- Level
- Medium
Also nut-free and egg-free.
Allergens: contains gluten, milk. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
Pastry
Filling
For frying
Method
For the filling, heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a wok or deep skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until soft and just starting to turn golden. Add garlic, curry powder, turmeric and chili powder and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
Add the diced chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring, until the outside is no longer pink. Add potatoes, water, salt and sugar. Stir well, bring to a gentle simmer, then cover and cook for 8-10 minutes until the potatoes are fork-tender and almost all liquid has evaporated, stirring once or twice.
Stir in the green peas and coriander, cook for 1 minute, then remove from the heat. Taste and adjust salt if needed. Let the filling cool completely before using.
For the pastry, whisk the flour, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Rub the cold butter into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs with some pea-sized pieces. Gradually drizzle in the ice-cold water, stirring with a fork, until a soft but not sticky dough comes together. Knead gently for 30 seconds, wrap and rest for 30 minutes.
Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick. Cut out 4-inch (10 cm) rounds, rerolling scraps once.
Place 1 heaped tablespoon of filling in the centre of each round. Fold the dough over into a half-moon shape and press the edges firmly to seal. Crimp the edge by pinching and folding small sections from one end to the other.
Heat the frying oil in a wok or deep saucepan to 350°F (175°C). Fry the puffs in batches, 3-4 at a time, for 3-4 minutes, turning once, until deep golden and the pastry is crisp and blistered. Drain on paper towels and serve warm.
Regional variant: Spiral Curry Puff (Karipap Pusing)
Make two doughs: a water dough from flour, salt, water and a little oil, and an oil dough from flour and butter or shortening. Roll the water dough around the oil dough, roll flat, then roll it up into a cylinder. Slice the cylinder into rounds and flatten each round before filling, so the spiral layers appear when deep-fried.
Cook's notes
- Keep the pastry cool while working; if the butter softens, return the dough to the fridge for 15 minutes before rolling.
- Do not overfill the rounds, or the puffs may burst during frying.
- For extra flaky layers, rest the dough in the fridge for up to 1 hour, or use cold margarine instead of butter.
Serve with
Serve warm with Malaysian sweet chili sauce or plain, alongside hot tea or coffee.
Make ahead and storage
The filling and dough can be made up to 1 day ahead and refrigerated separately; assembled raw puffs freeze well and can be fried from frozen, adding 1-2 minutes.
