Old-time Curry Puff / 古早味咖喱角


I love curry puff so much ever since I was a kid. However, I started making my own curry puff only a few years back when living in Sydney. In Malaysia, 3 curry puffs for RM1 still can be found in many places. Why make then? Homemade always the best, I will know what I am eating. Another reason is, no chilli for John. Yes, he loves curry puff too.

I always make in bulk, then pack 4 pieces in a small zip lock bag before keeping them in the freezer. When I feel like eating it, piping hot curry puff will be ready in no time. Let's start making some!

Curry Puff / Epok Epok / 古早咖喱角

Ingredients (24 pcs):
Pastry:
250g all-purpose flour
50g rice flour
50g tapioca or corn flour
50g hot vegetable oil
*150ml icy cold water + pinch of salt
*adjust the amount if necessary

Filling:
600g potato, peeled and diced
1 large onion, diced
2 tbsps curry powder (for seafood)
2 tbsp vegetable oil
Some curry leaves
1 cup water (+/-)
Salt to taste

Methods:
  1. Filling: Heat oil in wok, add in curry leaves and onion. Stir-fry onion until translucent then add in potato.
  2. Cook until potato has changed colour on the edges then add in curry powder and chilli paste (if using). Cook for 1 minute, add in water and bring to boil.
  3. Add salt to taste, then turn the heat down and cook with lid on until potato is soften and the liquid is reduced.
  4. Cool completely before use.
Divide the filling into a few portions as shown in the photo below so that you will have a rough idea how much filling to use for each curry puff. 


  1. Pastry: In a large mixing bowl, bring all the flours together and mix well. Set aside.
  2. Heat the oil in a small sauce pan, melt in the butter.
  3. Pour the hot oil over flours in the mixing bowl. Then, mix thoroughly with a wooden spatula or chopsticks.
  4. Add in the water and knead to form a soft dough. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and rest for at least 15 minutes.
  5. Assemble: Divide and shape dough into 24 equal balls. Then roll out each ball into a 10-12cm round or oval shape, wrap in a heap tablespoon of the filling. Pinch edges to seal, then plead it. (Please refer to the short clip below on how to pleat a curry puff)
  6. Deep-fry in medium hot oil until golden brown.

Cook's Notes:

  1. If swirl pastry version is preferred, check out my other post for pastry recipe.
  2. Potato can be substituted with sweet potato.
  3. To keep in the freezer, pack into small packets (leave space between each puff). Fried curry puff can be stored in the freezer up to 3 months.
  4. For this curry puff, it should have lots of puffed spots after fried.

Comments

  1. Mmmmm....my favourite. Makes me miss home now!

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  2. So beautiful Lydia, I've been eager to find out how they get all the spots. Thanks!!! Gotta make this soond!

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  3. Wow, I loved the taste of curry and I am glad I have found a different way to enjoy it, since the recipe is easy to prepare! Yeah, I agree homemade's is still the best!

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  4. Freezing the curry puff is a really good idea. Curry puff is one of my favourite snacks; haven't had those with sweet potatoes in the longest time.

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  5. Thanks Lydia will have to try these delicious looking curry puffs must admit that its my favourite too

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  6. I never think to make curry puff since it is so easy to buy from outside, anyway, home made always is the best, I will try this soon.

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  7. wow this looks great and sounds so simple to make! i have always loved them but never looked into making them myself.. thanks for sharing :O)

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  8. Homemade is the best! And you can cater to what your family like too. For me, I like to have more filling - so if it's homemade, I could have that :D

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  9. MaryMoh,
    Malaysian food still the best ya.. :D

    Quinn,
    The trick is hot oil, I love the puffed spots!! Enjoy your curry puff. :D

    Kathy,
    I guess you are new to curry puff? Fyi, it is good with a cup of coffe or tea. Trust me...

    HungryC,
    I haven't had the sweet potatoes version too, sweet potatoes are much more expensive than potatoes and not many selling sweet potato curry puff these days.

    Kuppi,
    Wow... many curry puff lovers here. Hope you like this recipe.

    Sonia,
    Happy puffing... :D

    Betty,
    Interested in making some now with this simple recipe?

    tigerfish,
    I like more filling too, and the "skin" must be thin.

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  10. Lydia, I made some curry puffs based on yr recipe, I got a question, my dough got some white dots dots after resting for 15 mins, why is there white dots? and why did you use rice flour and tapioca flour, and not just all plain flour? what kind of difference does it make to the skin texture?

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  11. ooppss.. thanks for sharing the recipe and thank you in advance for answering my questions..

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  12. MK Mummy,
    If we are referring to the same thing, those white dots are "cooked" flour as hot oil is used. They will puffed up once fried.
    Rice flour is to make the pastry crispy, and added some tapioca flour to make it "lighter"(crispy but not hard, like in Kuih Bangkit). Correct me if I am wrong.

    You can also use just plain flour, but the result will be different.

    All the best!

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  13. Hi Lydia,
    I tried this receipe n it turns out very nice. My puff when hot it was very delicious but when it was cold after few hours, it turn soft. I made a mistake of not adding a pinch of salt into the ice water. And by the time, I realized it, the dough had already been kneaded n was left to rest for 10 mins. Then only I quickly add some salt iced water to the dough again n knead it once again. Could that had been the reason for such flop cold pastry ?

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  14. Hi,
    Thanks for dropped by and feedback.

    The salt water part is to add saltiness in the pastry nothing to do with the crispiness. YES, this curry puff would not stay crispy for long. If you prefer crispy curry puff, try out my Crispy Curry Puff recipe.

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  15. Hi Lydia,

    i tried ur recipe but didn't use up the icy water while kneading the dough, is it necessary to finish?

    the curry puffs' skin turned out to be a bit thick, i should try rolling it thinner but it was great to be able to eat it.

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  16. Thanks for sharing your recipe and your tips as well, great help for me as a newbie in the kitchen, just starting ang enjoying cooking.

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  17. Nyonya curry puffs must have rings/spiral. Otherwise it becomes Mexican empanada.

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  18. I jus tried the recipe which is easy to follow. Esp for a first -time cook. Is there a difference in curry flavors? I find the curry zing isn't enough. Everything else-- yummy.

    I plan to freeze the remainder of today's fare. How best to enjoy it from the freezer? Fry again? Okay just to microwave?

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  19. Extra curry powder for extra zing or try another brand (1 I always used baba's).
    Also, fry the potato with curry powder till dried before adding in water, this will help in bring out the curry flavour. Oil + fry.

    Reheat: Micro to heat up the centre part, and toaster to crisp the outer layer.
    Enjoy!

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  20. I tried yr recipe today but the skin of the currypuff turned out very hard like stone n i threw away the balance. Is it because i used canola oil? I dunno why..

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  21. Mira,
    Sorry to hear that. I think the canola oil is ok to use in this recipe, hope you got it right next time. All the best.

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