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Home / Courses / Appetizer & Snack / Cafeteria Style Karipap (Curry Puffs)

Cafeteria Style Karipap (Curry Puffs)

By: 👩‍🦳 Linda · Published: 🖨 August 12, 2017 · Updated: 💻May 8, 2021 · 🗨 23 Comments

Recipe ▼

These Malaysian Cafeteria Style Karipap (Curry Puffs) with blistered crust and curried potato filling make a great snack or tea time treat.

Malaysian Cafeteria Style Karipap (Curry Puffs) for tea time.

Hold on to you hats, folks! Here are the canteen or Cafeteria Style Karipap (Curry Puffs) you have been waiting for. If you are no idea of what I am talking about, please check out this other Karipap post. For the rest of you who have been following the narrative, especially on my Facebook Page, let’s get rolling!

Comparison between smooth crust and blistered crust Curry Puffs. Most people familiar with Malaysian snack foods will tell you that the Malay style curry puffs, fondly known as Karipap usually (but not always) comes with a blistered crust. This does not mean the other is not tasty. On the contrary as stated in my previous post, the smooth crust Karipap had a richer flavor and more flaky pastry. This was confirmed by my taste testers.

Cafeteria Style Karipap with Blistered Crust

However, if appearance and nostalgia is important to you, then you may like today’s recipe a little better. The pastry is lighter and just a wee bit crunchier. To be honest with you, I was a little torn myself if I had to choose. In the end, it is a matter of preference. The good thing is that, I have both recipes here for you and you can decide for yourself which one you prefer. Do let me know your preference once you have had the chance to try both recipes.

Curry Puffs with blistered crust and curried potato filling.

What Caused the Blisters?

So, what made today’s Cafeteria Style Karipap (Curry Puffs) pastry blister? It is not a longer frying time as suggested by some. It is actually non other than the one simple ingredient known as WATER! Remember, water sputters when it meets hot oil and that sputtering is what causes the pastry to blister. When these curry puffs were frying in the pan, you can definitely hear the sputtering and fizzing in the hot oil. Hence, the texture is discernibly crunchier.

Delicious Malaysian Cafeteria Style Karipap (Curry Puffs) with curried potato filling.

These vegetarian Karipap (Malay Style Curry Puffs) with curried potato filling are a popular Malaysian snack. This version comes with a smooth flaky crust. | RotiNRice.com #karipap #currypuffs In this recipe, all other ingredients for the crust remained the same as the previous recipe. I simply halved the amount of margarine used and made it up by adding sufficient water to knead the dough into a smooth ball. It was a success! I was happy it turned out so beautifully on my very first try. The pastry blistered evenly when the curry puffs were deep frying.

Inexpensive Snack

These Karipap were relatively inexpensive snacks and the makciks (aunties) who made them had to find a way to keep the cost down. Using less margarine and more water would work for the pastry. As for the filling, sweet potatoes were used instead of regular potatoes. Back then sweet potatoes cost less than regular potatoes.

This time round, I flavored the potatoes with ku chai (Chinese chives) instead of cilantro. All other ingredients remain the same. There wasn’t a whole lot of difference between the two. One other option as mentioned in my previous post, is to use Chinese celery which has a stronger flavor than regular celery. The choice is yours but either way, you can’t go wrong.

Similar Products Used in Making These Cafeteria Style Karipap

This post contains affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy here.

Staub Serving Bowl, White, 3.4 qt.
Winco Strainer with Double Fine Mesh, 8-Inch Diameter
Babas Curry Powder (Meat Curry) – 8oz (Pack of 3)

Malaysian Cafeteria Style Karipap (Curry Puffs) for tea time.
5 from 2 votes

Cafeteria Style Karipap (Curry Puffs)

These Malaysian Cafeteria Style Karipap (Curry Puffs) with blistered crust and curried potato filling make a delicious snack or tea time treat.
Author : Linda Ooi
Course : Snack
Cuisine : Malaysian
Keyword : curry puffs, karipap
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate this Recipe
Prep Time 50 mins
Cook Time 40 mins
Total Time 1 hr 30 mins
Servings : 10
Calories : 262kcal

Ingredients
  

Filling

  • 3 small potatoes (9 oz/255g)
  • 1 small sweet potato (8oz/225g)
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 medium onion (diced)
  • 3 tbsp curry powder
  • ¼ cup water (60ml)
  • Salt to taste
  • ½ cup Chinese chives (chopped) (25g)

Blistered Crust

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour (300g)
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ cup margarine (56g)
  • 2/3 cup cold water (160ml)

For Deep Frying

  • Sufficient vegetable oil for deep frying

Instructions
 

Filling

  • Boil scrubbed potatoes and sweet potato in medium saucepan. After 15 minutes, remove potatoes. Allow sweet potato to cook for another 5 minutes. Remove and allow potatoes to cool. Peel potatoes and cut into small cubes.
  • Heat vegetable oil in a fry pan over medium heat. Saute onion for 1 minute. Add curry powder and continue to stir for 2 minutes until curry powder is fragrant.
  • Add cubed potatoes and sweet potato. Stir to coat potatoes with spices. Pour in water and season with salt. Add chopped Chinese chives and continue to stir to get everything well mixed.
    Cafeteria Style Karipap (Curry Puffs)-9
  • Turn off stove. Transfer to a bowl and allow filling to cool.

Blistered Crust

  • Combine all-purpose flour, salt, and margarine in a large bowl. Mix with a spatula. Slowly add water a little at a time. Knead to form a soft, non-sticky dough. You may or may not require the full 2/3 cup (160ml) water.
  • Continue to knead the dough in the bowl or on a clean work surface for 3 to 4 minutes until smooth. Form dough into a ball and place it back into the bowl. Cover with a towel and allow dough to rest for 15 minutes.
  • Remove dough from the bowl onto a lightly floured surface. Roll out dough to about 1/8 inch thick. Using a 3½ to 4 inch diameter lid or bowl, cut out as many circles as possible. Knead the edges back into a ball. Roll it out and cut more circles until all dough is used up.

Forming the Karipap

  • Place a piece of dough on your palm. If it has shrunk a little, spread it out gently with your fingers. Place a tablespoon of filling in the center.
  • Fold the dough into a semi circle. Seal by pressing and pleating the edges together. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.

Frying the Karipap

  • Heat about an inch of vegetable oil in a saucepan.
  • Deep fry karipap over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown, turning once. Remove and allow karipap to drain in a metal strainer.
  • Note: To make ahead, shape karipap and store in the refrigerator the day before. Deep fry the next day when ready to eat.

Notes

To make ahead, shape karipap and store in the refrigerator the day before. Deep fry the next day when ready to eat.

Nutrition

Calories: 262kcal
Tried this recipe?Mention @RotiNRice or tag #RotiNRice

Malaysian Cafeteria Style Karipap (Curry Puffs) fresh out of the hot oil.

Enjoy…..and have a wonderful day! 😎

Signature WP

2.5K shares

Categories: 🗂 Appetizer & Snack, Southeast Asian, Vegan, Video Recipes Tags: 📋 potatoes, sweet potatoes

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Comments

  1. Shannon @loveatfirstbento says

    November 21, 2017 at 9:23 am

    This sounds so delicious! I can see this making the perfect lunch or a quick and tasty snack. Love that it’s vegetarian too! I was wondering if you could eliminate the sweet potato and just add another regular potato? (I’m not a big fan of sweet potato.) Thanks for such a tasty and cute recipe!

    Reply
    • Linda says

      December 23, 2017 at 9:46 am

      Yes, you can use regular potatoes.

      Reply
  2. Pearly Toh says

    June 5, 2018 at 2:11 am

    Linda, instead of margarine, can butter be used?

    Reply
    • Linda says

      June 5, 2018 at 5:04 pm

      Yes, you can use butter.

      Reply
  3. Daniel Houts says

    July 22, 2018 at 10:13 am

    This might sound like a weird question so let me explain. Here in California they sell sweet potato fries but they are really made out of yams. And in the stores they sell sweet potatoes and yams side by side but sometimes the yams are labeled sweet potatoes and the sweet potatoes are labeled yams. So confusing for a beginning cook. So the question is in the recipe are you calling for a yam or a sweet potato?

    Reply
    • Linda says

      July 25, 2018 at 1:54 pm

      My recipe calls for sweet potatoes, not yams. Most grocery stores mislabel sweet potatoes as yam as explained here –> here and here. Yams have blackish or brown, bark-like skin, more like that of a taro. I hope this clears it up for you. 🙂

      Reply
  4. Tina says

    September 15, 2018 at 7:38 pm

    5 stars
    So glad I found this blistered crust recipe as this was what I grew up with! Most other recipes are for flaky or the the smooth crust variation. I’dways buy these at the pasar pagi in Malaysia. I did not have margarine or butter on hand so I substituted with vegetable oil and the crust still turned out good. I used my own recipe for the filling so can’t comment on this one. Thank you for posting!

    Reply
    • Linda says

      October 1, 2018 at 7:38 am

      You are welcome! Homemade is the best, right? 🙂

      Reply
  5. Wendy says

    September 30, 2018 at 12:16 am

    5 stars
    Thank you for such a good and accurate recipe. I tried both your smooth crust recipe and the blistered crust recipe. After trying out the smooth crust recipe, I was so sure I would like the smooth crust one more than the blistered crust even before trying out the blistered crust recipe. But to my surprise, the blistered crust ones turned out to be just as nice! Love them both! Perhaps in terms of presentation, I will choose smooth crust over blistered crust. Definitely will be making more of them! I love Curry puffs!

    Reply
    • Linda says

      October 1, 2018 at 7:36 am

      I am glad you like both recipes. It really is a matter of preference. Many have requested for a bake version which I intend to share on my other blog soon. 🙂

      Reply
  6. Limetree says

    January 27, 2019 at 12:26 am

    May I know the ration of potato to sweet potato?
    The recipe in gram confuses me.
    3 small potatoes (9 oz/225g)
    1 small sweet potato (8oz/225g)

    Reply
    • Linda says

      January 31, 2019 at 7:32 am

      I was trying to achieve an almost a 1:1 ratio of potatoes and sweet potatoes but you can use whatever ratio you prefer.

      Reply
  7. Sabrina says

    February 3, 2019 at 2:43 am

    Love to eat curry puff and can’t wait to try to make it! If I will like to keep it for a while, how long do u think it will last in the refrigerator, or Shaping the curry puff many days ahead and just frying it when I want to eat it is better? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Linda says

      February 11, 2019 at 11:44 am

      I don’t know about shaping them many days ahead but one or two days in the refrigerator is fine.

      Reply
  8. Kasdi says

    May 1, 2019 at 12:37 pm

    Made this a few times for our potluck for my lab! Tasted soooo good and everybody love it. Changed the curry recipe to my own recipe tho by adding chicken but still so good. Love it!

    Reply
  9. Nesa Dhevasahayam says

    March 31, 2020 at 5:52 am

    I tried ur curry puff it was so nice. thank you for ur recipe sharing

    Reply
    • Linda says

      May 16, 2020 at 11:11 am

      You are welcome! Glad you enjoyed the recipe.

      Reply
  10. Li Choo says

    April 28, 2020 at 12:31 am

    Awesome crust recipe. Have been looking for this kind of crust, prefer the stall type crust than the flaky kind. Thank you.

    Reply
    • Linda says

      April 28, 2020 at 9:27 am

      You are welcome!

      Reply
  11. Jan says

    May 5, 2020 at 8:22 am

    Hi Linda
    Is it purple onion you are referring to or the light green type?
    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Linda says

      May 16, 2020 at 11:13 am

      I am referring to purple or yellow onion. I call the green ones green onions/spring onions/scallions.

      Reply
  12. Charmilee says

    June 8, 2020 at 6:25 am

    I used to love eating these when I was studying in Malaysia. I’m so happy I found your recepy and made it with chicken. Perfect. The dough is perfect. Thank you for the step by step explanation.

    Reply
    • Linda says

      July 18, 2020 at 9:57 am

      You are welcome. I am glad to hear the recipe worked out well for you.

      Reply

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My grace is sufficient for thee…
2 Corinthians 12:9

Hi, I’m Linda! I make quick, easy meals, and spin on classics and old favorites with focus on Malaysian, Chinese, and American cuisines. Read more →

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