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Golden, flaky, and crispy curry puffs filled with savory chicken and potatoes, made with homemade pastry from scratch. This is the most authentic recipe you’ll find online and rivals the best ones sold by street vendors in Malaysia!
The Best Curry Puff Recipe
Curry puff is a popular Asian pastry with a savory chicken and potato filling, commonly found in Malaysia and Singapore. We call them karipap in Malay, and they’re a nice example of Malaysia’s multicultural mix. While they trace back to the Indian samosas, they’re really a blend of Indian, Malay, and Chinese-Peranakan (Nyonya) influences—just one of the many reasons Malaysian food is so richly diverse and delicious!
I enjoy it any time of day—as a morning breakfast, an afternoon tea snack, or a late-night treat. It’s similar to Western pastries or pies, but this version is deep-fried for that signature golden-brown crispiness.
In Malaysia, traditional home cooking often relies on estimation, or “agak-agak,” but this recipe is precise, with exact measurements for every ingredient. It’s the real deal!
In this tutorial, I’ll be sharing my friend’s secret recipe and techniques with you, including a step-by-step photo guide for each part, vegetarian and vegan substitutes, and a simple hack for quicker results.
Side note: In Malaysia, agak-agak loosely means “estimate” or “go by feel.” It’s commonly used in cooking, where you might just “throw in” ingredients based on instinct rather than exact measurements.
Spiral Curry Puff
There are many versions of curry puffs in Malaysia, but I have to say the best ones are the spiral curry puffs. The flaky, layered shell really stands out, and you can tell they’re often made by traditional home cooks who spend hours perfecting their recipes.
The secret lies in the flaky pastry. Once you get the right ratio of ingredients and nail the technique, you’ll be able to make crispy, flaky curry puffs that look just like the ones in my photos, complete with those beautiful spirals on the skin.
The combination of that crispy shell with spicy chicken curry and potatoes is just fantastic! If you’re looking for a perfect recipe, this one is it.
Malaysian Curry Puff Ingredients
Here are the main ingredients for the recipe:
- Chicken – use boneless and skinless chicken meat. I recommend chicken breasts for this recipe.
- Potato – Russet potatoes will be ideal as a filling for these savory puffs.
- Aromatics – Onion and shallots
- Dried red chilies
- Curry leaves
- Meat curry powder – I used Babas brand meat curry powder.
- Unsalted butter
- Flour
Please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full details on each ingredient.
Substitutions & Quick Hacks
- This recipe uses a water dough and oil dough to create the pastry shell, but if you’re looking for a quicker option, you can always go with store-bought frozen puff pastry. Just thaw it to room temperature before using!
- For vegans and vegetarians, this recipe is easily adaptable.
- You can skip the chicken and use potatoes for the filling instead. If you’d like, add some green peas for extra color, flavor, and texture. For the pastry, simply swap in vegan butter or coconut oil, and you’re good to go!
How To Make Spiral Curry Puff
Step 1: Filling
Soak dried chilies in hot water for 5 minutes. Rinse and blend together with shallots until smooth, then mix in the curry powder. Set the chili paste aside.
Step 2: Heat oil in a wok and sauté the chili paste and curry leaves until fragrant. Add the diced chicken and potatoes, and stir-fry over medium heat for 3 minutes. Add the onions, water, and simmer for 5 minutes or until the mixture is almost dry. Add salt and sugar to taste. Remove the filling from heat and let cool.
Step 3: Curry Puff Pastry – Water dough
Add salt to water to make a saltwater solution. Gradually add the saltwater to the flour, kneading slowly until a smooth, white dough forms. Divide the dough into portions of 85 g (3 oz) each and roll them into balls. Set aside.
Step 4: Oil dough
Add the butter and ghee to the flour and knead until a dough forms. Divide the dough into portions of 70 g (2½ oz) each.
Step 5: Flatten the water dough and wrap the oil dough inside, pinching the edges to seal well. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
Step 6: Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into a rectangle measuring 20 x 11 cm (8″ x 4″). Starting from the shorter end, roll it up tightly to form a roll. Then, flatten the rolled dough slightly by rolling from the shorter end again. Finally, roll it up once more from the shorter side to form another roll.
Step 7: Let the dough rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Repeat the process with the remaining dough. Then, cut each rolled dough into 4 pieces.
Step 8: Roll one piece of the cut dough into a circle using a rolling pin. Place 1 tablespoon of the filling in the center.
Step 9: Brush the edge with water and fold the dough in half. Press the edges together to seal, forming a half-moon shape. Pinch the edge of the puff with your thumb, folding the back side forward and sealing it with the front. Repeat this process to create about 8-9 pleats.
Step 10: Heat oil in a wok or deep fryer until hot, ensuring there’s enough oil to fully submerge the curry puffs. Deep fry over medium heat until golden brown. Remove from the oil using a strainer and let cool on a cooling rack. Serve warm.
Pro Tips For Beginners
If this is your first time making Malaysian curry puffs, here are some quick tips to help you succeed in the kitchen:
- Ample working space: Make sure you have enough space to work with the dough—it’s the star of this recipe.
- Roll it out evenly: When rolling the pastry dough, ensure the water dough and oil dough are spread out evenly, especially when shaping it into a rectangle. This way, you’ll get those flaky layers everyone loves!
- Cool the filling: Let your filling cool before wrapping it. This makes the whole process much easier and prevents the dough from getting soggy.
- Seal it tight: When you fold the dough over the filling, press the edges together firmly so nothing leaks out when frying.
Frequently Asked Questions
Spiral curry puff have an extra flaky texture because they’re made by layering two types of dough—one water-based and one oil-based. This creates that unique, crispy look and bite! Regular curry puff are simpler, using just one type of dough without the layers.
To avoid a soggy filling, make sure to cook down any excess liquid before assembling. This keeps the filling thick and prevents the pastry from becoming wet.
Use a neutral oil with a high smoke point, like vegetable or canola oil, when frying. This way, the oil won’t add any strong flavors, so the filling shines through, and you’ll get a light, crispy crust.
Make sure the oil is hot enough before frying—around 180°C (350°F). If the oil’s too cold, the pastry will soak up extra oil and turn greasy. Right after frying, drain them on paper towels or let cool on a wire rack to keep them crisp.
Yes, you can and it will make 12 puffs.
This recipe makes 24 curry puffs, with 396 calories per puff.
Other Street Food You Might Like
If you’re a fan of street food like I am, you’ll definitely enjoy these hawker delights from Malaysia. Here are some of my favorite recipes that you can easily try making at home.
I hope you enjoy this post as much as I do. If you try my recipe, please leave a comment and consider giving it a 5-star rating. For more easy and delicious recipes, explore my Recipe Index, and stay updated by subscribing to my newsletter and following me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for new updates.
Curry Puff
Ingredients
Filling Ingredients
- 15 dried red chilies, seeded
- 8 shallots, peeled
- 2-3 tablespoons meat curry powder
- 5 tablespoons oil
- 5 curry leaves
- 1 kg (2 lb) chicken, breasts preferred, cut into small pieces
- 1 kg (2 lb) potatoes, cut into small pieces
- 500 g (1 lb) yellow onions, peeled and diced
- 125 ml water
- salt , to taste
- sugar, to taste
Water Dough
- 1.5 teaspoons salt
- 335 g (11.8 oz) water
- 900 g (1.9 lb) all purpose flour
Oil Dough
- 340 g (11.9 oz) unsalted butter
- 20 g (¾ oz) ghee, optional
- 730 g (1⅓ lb) flour
Instructions
Filling
- Soak dried chilies in hot water for 5 minutes. Rinse and blend together with shallots until smooth, then mix in the curry powder. Set the chili paste aside.
- Heat oil in a wok and sauté the chili paste and curry leaves until fragrant. Add the diced chicken and potatoes, and stir-fry over medium heat for 3 minutes. Add the onions, water, and simmer for 5 minutes or until the mixture is almost dry. Add salt and sugar to taste. Remove the filling from heat and let cool.
Water Dough
- Add salt to water to make a saltwater solution. Gradually add the saltwater to the flour, kneading slowly until a smooth, white dough forms. Divide the dough into portions of 85 g (3 oz) each and roll them into balls. Set aside.
Oil Dough
- Add the butter and ghee to the flour and knead until a dough forms. Divide the dough into portions of 70 g (2½ oz) each.
Spiral Pastry Shell
- Flatten the water dough and wrap the oil dough inside, pinching the edges to seal well. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
- Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into a rectangle measuring 20 x 11 cm (8" x 4"). Starting from the shorter end, roll it up tightly to form a roll. Then, flatten the rolled dough slightly by rolling from the shorter end again. Finally, roll it up once more from the shorter side to form another roll.
- Let the dough rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Repeat the process with the remaining dough. Then, cut each rolled dough into 4 pieces.
Assembling and Folding Curry Puff
- Roll one piece of the cut dough into a circle using a rolling pin. Place 1 tablespoon of the filling in the center.
- Brush the edge with water and fold the dough in half. Press the edges together to seal, forming a half-moon shape. Pinch the edge of the puff with your thumb, folding the back side forward and sealing it with the front. Repeat this process to create about 8-9 pleats.
- Heat oil in a wok or deep fryer until hot, ensuring there’s enough oil to fully submerge the curry puffs. Deep fry over medium heat until golden brown. Remove from the oil using a strainer and let cool on a cooling rack. Serve warm.
Notes
- Make sure you have enough space to work with the dough.
- When rolling the pastry dough, ensure the water dough and oil dough are spread out evenly, especially when shaping it into a rectangle. This way, you’ll get those flaky layers everyone loves!
- Let your filling cool before wrapping it. This makes the whole process much easier and prevents the dough from getting soggy.
- When you fold the dough over the filling, press the edges together firmly so nothing leaks out when frying.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
For the oil dough, is the butter melted when added to the flour? Or process with food processor?
If not using the ghee, should you increase the butter? By how much?
Can I use an air-Fryer instead of deep fry
Yes you can!
in above measurements roughly how many pcs can make?
I used half the amount and made 32 large puffs using a standard curry puff mould, so guess this makes 64 large puffs, not 2 puffs as stated at the top of the recipe!
As a guide what quantities of salt and sugar do you suggest? And for the sugar, does the type matter e.g. palm sugar, raw cane sugar, white sugar etc.?
Just to taste. Add a pinch and add more to taste. White sugar will be fine.