Singaporean Curry Puffs

Ingredients

2–3 tablespoons vegetable oil

½ onion, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

250g chicken thigh, finely diced or minced

1 medium potato, peeled and finely diced

6–8 curry leaves, finely chopped

Vegetable oil, for deep frying

The Curry Seasoning

2 tablespoons curry powder

Pinch salt

Pinch sugar

2–3 tablespoons water

The Water Dough

200g plain flour

1 egg

50–60ml water

The Butter Dough

100g plain flour

75g unsalted butter, cold and cubed

Pinch salt

PREPARATION

COOKING

Method

1. Heat vegetable oil in a pan over medium heat and add the diced onion. Cook until lightly browned and fragrant.

2. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly so it does not burn.

3. Stir in the curry powder, then add the diced chicken and cook until the meat begins to cook through.

4. Add the diced potatoes, season with salt and sugar, then stir in the chopped curry leaves.

5. Add a little water and simmer for 4–5 minutes until the potatoes are tender and the mixture becomes fairly dry. Remove from the heat and allow the filling to cool completely.

6. To make the water dough, combine plain flour, egg and water and knead for about 4–5 minutes until smooth. Cover and allow the dough to rest.

7. For the butter dough, rub the cold butter into the flour with a pinch of salt until a soft dough forms, then divide into small balls.

8. Divide the rested water dough into slightly larger balls, flatten each piece and wrap it around a butter dough ball, sealing it completely.

9. Roll each dough ball into a long oval, roll it up tightly, turn it 90 degrees and roll it out again before rolling once more to create layered pastry.

10. Cut each rolled pastry log in half, flatten each piece into an oval wrapper and place a heaped tablespoon of filling in the centre.

11. Fold the pastry into a half moon, seal tightly and crimp the edges.

12. Heat oil to about 170–180°C and fry the curry puffs for 4–5 minutes until golden brown and crisp, then drain on kitchen paper before serving.

School of Wok Tips

• Allow the filling to cool completely before assembling the pastries.

• Rolling the dough twice creates the signature flaky layers.

• Keep the dough portions even so the puffs cook uniformly.

• Fry in batches so the oil temperature remains steady.

FAQs

What makes Singaporean curry puff pastry flaky?

The pastry uses two doughs laminated together, which creates multiple layers when rolled and folded.

Can I bake curry puffs instead of frying?

Yes, they can be baked, but deep frying gives the most authentic crispy texture.

Can I use other fillings?

Absolutely. Popular variations include sardine, beef or vegetarian curry fillings.