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Contributor: Ho Siew Loon
I would like to thank my mother-in-law, a refined Nyonya cook for sharing this recipe with me. It is a very traditional way of making spiral curry puffs.
As a traditional cook, her cooking is always based on estimation and last weekend, I have managed to get the recipe and the measurement down. The crispiness of the skin blended together with the spicy chicken curry and potatoes is just perfect for a relaxing afternoon tea…(get curry puff recipe after the jump)
Curry puff is a very popular Asian snack especially in Malaysia and Singapore.
It is quite similar to the western puff or pies except that for this curry puff, it is deep fried to give the crispiness. The skill in this popular snack lies in the making of the skin. But once you have mastered it, this popular snack will definitely be a hit at your parties.
How Many Calories per Serving?
This recipe is only 144 calories per serving.
What Dishes to Serve with This Recipe?
For a wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
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Spiral Curry Puff
Ingredients
Filling Ingredients
- 1 kg (2 lb) chicken meat, diced
- 1 kg (2 lb) potatoes, diced
- 500 g (1 lb) onions, diced
- 4-5 curry leaves
- 2-3 tablespoons curry powder
- 15 dried chillies
- 8 shallots
- 125 ml water
- Salt to taste
- Sugar to taste
- 5 tablespoons oil
Water Dough
- 900 g (1.9 lb) flour
- 1.5 teaspoons salt
- 335 g (11.8 oz) water
Oil Dough
- 340 g (11.9 oz) butter
- 20 g (¾ oz) Ghee, optional
- 730 g (1⅓ lb) flour
Instructions
Filling
- Soak dried chillies in hot water for 5 minute. Rinse and blend together with shallots till fine. Mix in curry powder.
- Heat oil in wok and saute chilly paste and curry leaves till fragrant.
- Add in diced chicken, potatoes. Fry for 3 minutes on medium fire. Add in onions and water. Simmer for 5 minutes or until almost dry.
- Remove to cool.
Dough
Water Dough
- Mixed salt to water to make salt water.
- Add salt water to flour gradually and slowly knead to form a nice white dough.
- Divide into portions of 85 g (3 oz)each. Roll into a ball.
- Leave aside.
Oil Dough
- Add butter and ghee to flour and knead to form a dough.
- Divide into 70 g (2½ oz.) portion each.
To make spiral skin
- Flatten the water dough and wrap the oil dough inside. Pinch the edges to seal it nicely.
- Let dough rest for 10 minutes.
- Using a rolling pin, roll out dough to form a rectangle of 20 x 11 cm (8" x 28" inches). Working on the shorter end, slowly roll up tightly into a swiss roll.
- Roll from the shorter end of the swiss roll to flatten dough. Slowly roll up from the shorter side to form a swiss roll.
- Let dough rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Repeat the process until you finished with the rest of the dough.
- Cut dough into 4 pieces.
To fill and shape puff
- Roll a piece of the cut dough into a circle with rolling pin.
- Put 1 Tbsp of filling in the centre.
- Brush the edge with water and fold into half. Press the edge together and seal it. This will give you a half moon shape.
- Pinch the edge of the puff with your thumb. Bring the back side forward and seal it with the front. Repeat the process. You should be able to get about 8-9 pleats.
- Heat oil in wok or deep fryer. Oil must be very hot before putting in the puff and enough to cover to the puff.
- Deep fry the puff on medium heat until golden brown.
Nutrition
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated, using Spoonacular, for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
Hi Bee, what brand curry powder or type will be the best and authentic ones to use? Am I completely wrong in using Madras curry powder or would you recommend meat curry powder like Baba? And wouldn’t it be too spicy if I added Baba curry powder and 15 dried chilies?
Thanks
Hi Mayu, curry powder is not spicy but aromatic. You can cut down the chilies to half per your taste.
Thanks a lot! This recipe is awesome. I tried it many years ago and it was delicious. I just forgot which curry powder I used.
I’m in Australia, is ghee a must recipe for this curry puff? Can I replace with other ingredients?
You can get ghee in Indian stores. You can use butter but the results are not as great. Won’t be as flaky.
From your nyonya curry puff recipes, how many of them could I make?
Hi Bee, can I bake using the oven instead? What is the temperature and how long should I bake?
Can I use salted/unsalted butter as a substitute of the Ghee?
Many thanks!
Yes you can make but I am not sure the temperature and time as I didn’t try.
Hi Bee, I’m hoping these are similar to my favorite Tanjung Bungah hawker. Could you please suggest what kind of dried chilies you would use in So Calif? Thanks!
Chili arbol.
Bee, I love all your recipes. I even have your book “Easy Chinese Recipes.” This curry puff looks so good but I can’t figure out the amounts. I live in N.Carolina. In the USA. Can you please break down the measurements. I see you do this in your cookbook. Thank You, Bobbie
Hi Bobbie, my contributor did this recipe.
Can you use puff or short crust pastry instead of yhr dry snd oily dough?
Yes.
Thank you so much Bee! I worked for a family from Malaysia and Annie would always make curry puffs and pineapple cookies and I always tried to get her recipe for at least the curry puffs! This, the pineapple cookies and your ponzu sauce miracle have made my year! I went to Taipei 101 with coworkers and our bosses. We had the most amazing dumplings.. Some were even filled with soup but the dipping sauce with fresh ginger was the best.. Ive been trying to find that since I got back last summer. Thank you very much!
Hi Bee, do you have the Nyonya Kuih lapis ( some texture of Bengawan Solo in Singapore) recipe? It’s so hard to find. If you do please share with me . Thank you
https://rasamalaysia.com/kek-lapis-indonesian-layer-cake/
This is very reminiscent of Pastizi. A Maltese pastry.