I think it’s pretty well-known that I’m a sucker for anything puff pastry and I also love curries so this recipe is really a no-brainer. The inspiration is taken from the Malaysian curry puffs you normally find in Chinatown. While not traditional, these pastries combine the convenience of store-bought puff pastry with the beloved flavors of Malaysian curry puffs, creating something that’s both approachable and irresistible.

Why This Recipe Works

After experimenting with various fillings and methods, I’ve found that this combination of tender vegetables and warming curry spices creates the perfect filling, while store-bought puff pastry provides reliable flakiness. The result is a snack that’s both satisfying and simple to prepare.

Understanding Your Components

Curry Filling: Carrots, potatoes, peas are the common vegetables you would find in curry puffs but honestly feel free to mix and match with whatever you have on hand. These puffs are so forgiving and they’re a great way to use up any starchy/ rooty vegetables you have lying in the fridge. The filling needs to be well-seasoned but not too wet:

• Vegetables should be uniformly diced for even cooking
• Mixture must cool before filling
• Leftover curry is also great for this recipe. Just make sure you refrigerate it overnight to turn it into a paste.

Pastry: While not traditional, puff pastry creates delicious results without the labour:

• Keep cold until use. You do not want the butter inside the puff pastry to melt as it’s essential to giving the curry puff that flaky texture. Thaw 5 mins but shaping.
• Seal edges well as we don’t want the filling to spill out.
• Egg wash essential for colour

If you would like to add protein into this, you must definitely can! Chicken or beef mince would also be a great protein source to add to these curry puffs. I would add the protein in when you’re cooking down the onions.

Ingredients

1 onion or shallot, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 large potato, peeled and diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup frozen peas
2 tbsp curry powder
1 tbsp sugar

2 cups vegetable stock
1 egg
Puff pastry sheets
Salt and pepper
Sesame seeds

Keep in mind the smaller your cut your vegetables, the faster they will cook. It’s a balancing act between time and texture so pick your battle!

Method

1. In a pot with a drizzle of vegetable oil over medium heat, saute the onion/shallot until translucent. Add in the garlic, potato and carrot and saute for around 2 minutes.

2. Add in the curry powder and stir to well combined. Pour in the vegetable stock, cover and bring to a simmer. Cook until the veggies are 80% cooked or they still have a slight bite to them.

3. Uncover, add in the frozen peas and sugar, and continue to simmer until the veggies are fully cooked and the stock has reduced to a thick mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste and leave the mixture to cool.

4. Pre-heat your oven to 220C / 425F. Cut a sheet of puff pastry into 4 even squares, place a few spoonfuls of the curry mixture in the center and fold the pastry in half diagonally. Press the sides to seal the triangles and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat until you’ve used up all the curry mixture. 

5. Cut a small slit on top of each triangle, brush with egg wash, sprinkle with sesame seeds and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.