Curry Puffs (Karipap)

Ingredients

Pastry

• 400 g (3 1/4 cups) plain flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 100 g cold ghee or butter, diced
• 160 ml cold water

Filling

• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 3 tbsp meat curry powder, mixed with 3 tbsp water to a paste
• 1/2 tsp chilli powder (optional)
• 250 g boneless chicken thigh, cut into 1 cm (1/2 in) dice, or beef mince
• 400 g potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 cm (1/2 in) dice
• 120 ml water
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, each cut into 10 small wedges (optional)

For frying

• 1 L cooking oil, for deep-frying

Method

1. Make the pastry: rub the cold ghee into the flour and salt with your fingertips until it looks like coarse crumbs. Add the cold water a little at a time and bring it together into a soft, smooth dough, kneading for 1 minute only. Wrap and rest for 30 minutes.
2. Make the filling: heat the oil in a pan over medium heat and fry the onion, garlic and curry leaves for 3 minutes until soft. Add the curry paste and chilli powder and fry for 3 minutes, stirring, until fragrant and the oil starts to separate.
3. Add the chicken and stir for 3 minutes until it is no longer pink. Add the potatoes, water, salt and sugar, cover and simmer for 12 minutes, stirring now and then, until the potatoes are tender and the pan is almost dry. Mash a few pieces of potato to bind the filling, spread it on a plate and leave it to cool completely, about 30 minutes.
4. Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured bench to about 3 mm thick and cut out 10 cm (4 in) rounds. Re-roll the scraps; you should get about 20 rounds.
5. Put 1 heaped tbsp of filling and a wedge of egg on each round, fold it over into a half-moon and press the edges firmly to seal. Crimp the edge by folding and pinching it over itself in small twists, or press it with a fork.
6. Heat the oil in a wok or deep pan to 170°C (340°F). Fry 4 or 5 puffs at a time for 5 to 6 minutes, turning them, until golden and crisp. Drain on a rack and serve warm.

Tips

• Baked curry puffs: brush the puffs with beaten egg and bake at 190°C (375°F) for 25 minutes, until golden.
• Freeze ahead: freeze uncooked puffs on a tray, then bag them for up to 1 month. Fry from frozen at 160°C (325°F) for about 8 minutes.
• Beef version: use 250 g beef mince instead of the chicken and cook it for 5 minutes in step 3 before adding the potatoes.
• No bursting: a wet or warm filling, overfilling and oil that is too hot are the usual causes. Keep the filling dry and cold and leave a 1 cm (1/2 in) border for sealing.