Fried Curry Puffs

One who knows how to cook (and make delicious food) doesn't mean one is willing to do it; while one who is willing to do it doesn't mean one is able to make delicious food (after all it's the thoughts that count). Hence I never fail to tell my husband it's his double-win fortune to take me as his wife after I made him yummy food that satisfy his cravings every time. Haha! And the mister has been "pestering" me to make him curry puffs for the longest time before he gave up after I turned him down every time with the consequences from deep-frying, that is the lingering smell of oil in the apartment and the oil stench that stays on the carpet and sofa. *Giggle! It may be my plain excuse for "rejecting" his request time and again since I never like deep-frying but the consequences from deep-frying were all true. Let alone the amount of grease-cleaning to be done, it took almost the entire can of air fresher spray to rid the oil stench in the entire apartment. >,<

*Oops! I hope I've not dampened your eagerness to try out this recipe at this point. Despite the post cleaning chores, I'll totally do it again if you ask me (in fact I've already made this recipe twice). If you're yearning for some traditional curry puffs made of crisp yet flaky crust similar to those bought from the local food markets sold traditionally by the Malays, this is the one or even better -- because you can wrap in as much filling as you want! *_*

Fried Curry Puffs

I'm linking this post to the event, Little Thumbs Up (July 2014: Potato) organised by Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids and Mui Mui of My Little Favourite DIY and hosted by Jasline of Foodie Baker. You may find that there are already many other curry puff versions linked to the above event, but who doesn't like to be spoilt for choices?! ^_^

And I would also like to share this post with CookBlogShare event hosted by Lucy of Supergolden Bakes because caring is sharing!

Fried Curry Puffs

Makes about 40

Ingredients Required

Filling
The Dream Baker's Creation

3 cups (405 grams) peeled and diced golden (yellow) potatoes (about 2 medium-sized)
5 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons curry powder
2 teaspoons chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
4 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons vegetable oil (or any neutral flavour cooking oil)
2 tablespoons (35 grams) minced shallots
1 tablespoon (3 cloves) minced garlic
1 1/2 cup (300 grams) boneless chicken breast meat, cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon ketchup
1/2 teaspoon salt, to taste
1/4 cup water
5 eggs, hard-boiled, cut into 1/8 wedges

Dough
Recipe referenced and modified from: To Food with Love

4 cups (600 grams) all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/8 cup (10 tablespoons or 270 grams) cold margarine/butter, cut into tiny cubes
3/4 cup cold water

Preparation Steps

Filling

1. Place the potatoes with 5 tablespoons of water in a microwaveable bowl and microwave on high for about 4 to 5 minutes until cooked and slightly soft, stirring the potatoes around in between. Drain any remaining water and set potatoes aside.
2. In a small bowl, add curry powder, chilli powder, turmeric powder and 4 tablespoons of water to form a paste and set aside.
3. In a frying wok, heat the vegetable oil. Add minced shallots and garlic and fry until fragrance.
4. Add curry paste mixture and fry until the oil separates.
5. Add chicken and fry until cooked.
6. Add potatoes, sugar, light soy sauce, ketchup and toss to mix evenly.
7. Add 1/4 cup of water and mix well. Let simmer until potatoes are soft and have absorbed all the flavours. Add salt to taste.
8. Fry until the curry filling is thick and slightly dry. Dish out and let cool completely.

Dough

1. Place flour and salt in a large bowl and mix well. 
2. Add cold cubed margarine/butter and rub into the flour using a pastry blender or fork until it resembles coarse crumbs. 
3. Drizzle cold water into the flour mixture and stir around with a butter knife until the dough starts to come together. Alternatively, perform steps 2 and 3 using a food processor.
4. Turn the dough onto a clean working surface and gently knead to bring the dough together. Add a little more water, about 1 tablespoon at a time if the dough is too dry or crumbly. Do not over-knead the dough as it may cause the pastry to become tough and chewy after fried.
5. Place dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll out into approximately 1/8-inch thick. Use a round cutter (approximately 5 1/2-inch diameter) to cut the dough into small discs. 
6. Gently knead the remaining edges to bring the dough together again and repeat step 5. 

Assembling and deep-frying the curry puff

1. Place about 1 to 2 tablespoons of curry filling and 1 wedge of hard-boiled egg in the centre of the flattened dough.
2. Fold the dough into half and pinch around the edges to seal. Gently press the edges with a fork to form the marks. Repeat steps until filling and dough are used up. Depending on the amount of filling used and the side of the dough, you may end up with excess filling or dough.
3. Heat sufficient oil in a wok/pan for deep-frying.
4. Fry the curry puffs in batches on medium high speed for about 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Move the curry puffs around in the oil so that they brown evenly. Avoid over-crowding the wok/pan.
5. Remove curry puffs and drain excess oil through a sieve before transferring over a kitchen towel (this helps to absorb any excess oil from the curry puff).
6. Serve while warm. Caution: Filling is hot!

The recipe may seem like a long list, but ultimately it'll just be down to three main components -- the curry (chicken and potato) filling, the hard-boiled eggs and the dough. In fact, the filling can be prepared the day before and kept (sealed) and chilled in the fridge. The hard-boiled eggs are optional too, only if you like it! ^_^

I've tried and failed to pinch the edges of the crust to form the traditional fluted edge-look. A fork works easier for me. 

Don't feel like deep-frying them on the same day? Simply freeze these wrapped curry puffs (lay flat on a baking sheet and transfer to a ziplock bag for easy storage after they have hardened. And if you are freezing them for future frying, omit the hard-boiled eggs).

For a healthier option, you can bake the curry puffs in the preheated oven at 200 degrees C or 400 degrees F instead of deep-frying. Place the curry puffs on a lined baking sheet, brush the tops with egg wash (combine 1 beaten egg with 1 tablespoon water) and bake for approximately 20 minutes or until lightly golden and crisp. 

My First Cooking Post Afterthoughts

A cooking recipe serves just as a guide since people have different taste buds. And to me cooking is definitely much easier than baking because it allows me to perfect the taste (with choice of ingredients) to suit individual's taste bud by adding more or less of the spices along the cooking process. Unlike baking where it's crucial to have all ingredients measured accurately before all's mixed and sent into the oven, and you'll not know how it'll turn out until it's baked. Thus, I've created my own recipe for this curry (chicken and potato) filling from simple and commonly available (and used) ingredients found in my pantry with my own trial and error after taking references from numerous recipes. No one's going to have enough of these curry puffs! ^_^

I hope to share more cooking-related recipes in my future posts...

Dare to dream.
The Dream Baker