Singapore Galore - Curry Puff

Malaysian Curry Puff

It's been over 20 years since we've moved from Singapore so I'm challenging myself to recreate the authentic delicious food I grew up eating. Starting my Singapore Galore food series is the heavenly golden Malaysian curry puff! 

Did you know: The origins of the Malaysian curry puff are said to be influenced by the British Cornish pasty, the Portuguese empanada and the Indian samosa. Wherever it came from, thank goodness because they're delish!!

My memories of growing up in Singapore during the 80's take me back to a time when leaving cash at the nook of our front gate meant it was for the bread man and no one thought twice of taking it. Every week my Mom would leave just enough for bread and the delivery man who would in turn carefully place  a loaf of delicious white bread in our gate. If we were lucky, my Mom left just a little extra for a half dozen freshly handmade curry puffs! 

Oh, how I miss having crispy curry puffs! These half-moon shaped pastries are a meal by itself, little purses carrying golden tender spicy chicken that would stain my fingers yellow because of they were packed full of yummy curry goodness. 

Curry Ingredients

Makes 24 curry puffs

2 cups boneless chicken breast or thighs 

1/2 large onion

1/2 large potato 

2 tbsp curry powder

1 tbsp water

2 curry leaves

2 tbsp sambal oelek 

1tsp sugar

1tsp salt

1tbsp soy sauce
1/4 cup sliced green onions

3 hard boiled eggs

1. Dice the large onions.
2. Cut chicken into small pieces/ cubes.
3. Add curry powder into the water and mix into a paste.
4. Peel and cut the potatoes into small cubes of about 0.25" squares and bake in 350 oven for 20 min.
5. Heat 2 tbsp of sunflower oil. Saute onions until translucent. Then mix in sambal olek and curry paste.
6. Add curry paste, salt, sugar, chicken & curry leaves. Fry for another 10 minutes. Towards the end, add the potatoes and stir/mix. The filling is done. 
7. Hard boil the eggs and cut into segments.

Curry Puff Butter Crust

Outside pastry

1 cup all purpose flour 

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tbsp sugar

1/2 cups cold water

1. Mix, knead flour. Add the water bit by bit as you knead.
2. Separate into 2 balls 

Inside pastry

1/4 cup flour

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1. Mix, knead flour
2. Separate into 2 balls 

Making the pastries

1. Flatten outside pastry, just wide enough to wrap around one ball of inside pastry ball.
2. Wrap around inside pastry ball.
3. Flatten both then roll up tightly and flatten about 3 - 4 times.
4. Once flattened then roll dough into long tube.
5. Cut roll into 1/2" width pieces.
6. Flatten individual pastry pieces into rounds to place curry and one sliced egg in the middle.
7. Close pastry over ingredients and crimp the sides by folding over to seal puff.
8. Lightly flour cookie sheet and place completed curry puffs until ready for frying.

To Fry

Heat clean frying oil like canola or peanut oil to 375 degrees F in a large pot until gentle bubbling. Then slowly insert curry puffs into oil without overcrowding. 
Frying fresh curry puffs take 2-3 min until light golden brown.
Frying frozen curry puffs take 3-6 min to ensure warmed through all the way.
Let cool for 5 minutes and these little golden curry pockets are ready to eat!

Did you know: These puffs are suitable for freezing. Place puffs freezer ziplocks and place in freezer, to be fried (no need to defrost) just before serving.