← Nouns Cooking · Malaysian & Singaporean

Ingredients

• 400 g plain flour
• ½ tsp Salt
• 100 g cold butter or margarine, diced
• 170 ml cold water (roughly)
• 2 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 1 Onion, finely diced
• 1 sprig Curry leaves
• 3 tbsp Malaysian meat curry powder, mixed to a paste with 3 tbsp water
• 1 tsp Chilli powder
• 200 g Chicken breast, cut into 1 cm dice
• 400 g Potato, peeled and cut into 1 cm dice
• 150 ml Water
• 1 tsp Sugar
• 1 tsp Salt
• 50 g Peas (optional)
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, cut into small wedges (optional)
• 1 l oil, for deep-frying

Method

1. For the pastry, rub the butter into the flour and salt until it looks like breadcrumbs. Add the water a little at a time, mixing, then knead for 5 min into a smooth, soft dough. Cover and rest for 30 min.
2. For the filling, heat the oil in a pan over medium heat and fry the onion and curry leaves for 3 min until soft. Add the curry paste and chilli powder and fry for 2–3 min until the oil separates.
3. Add the chicken and stir-fry for 3 min, then add the potato, water, sugar and salt. Cover and simmer for 10–12 min, stirring now and then, until the potato is tender, the chicken is cooked through and the mixture is almost dry. Stir in the peas, lightly mash a few potato pieces to bind it, and leave to cool completely.
4. Roll the pastry out on a floured surface to about 3 mm thick and cut out 10 cm rounds, re-rolling the scraps.
5. Put a heaped spoonful of filling (and a wedge of egg, if using) on one half of each round, fold into a half-moon and press the edges firmly to seal. Pinch and fold the edge over itself all along the seam to make the classic rope pattern.
6. Heat the oil in a wok or deep pan to 170°C (340°F). Fry the puffs 4–5 at a time for 5–6 min, turning, until deep golden and blistered. Drain on a rack and serve warm.

Tips

• Uncooked karipap freeze beautifully on a tray; fry them straight from frozen, adding a couple of minutes.
• To bake instead, brush with beaten egg and bake at 200°C (400°F) for about 20–25 minutes until golden.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Taste Asian Food What To Cook Today Huang Kitchen