A curry puff (Malay: Karipap, Epok-epok; Jawi: کاريڤڤ / ايڤوق٢; Chinese: 咖哩角; pinyin: gālí jiǎo; Thai: กะหรี่ปั๊บ, RTGS: karipap, pronounced[kā.rìː.páp]), also known as Vegetable/ Veg puff is a snack of South Asian origin.[1] It is a flaky filopastry filled with of vegetables like potatoes mixed with spicy curry powder, with meat-based versions that contain chicken and potatoes in a fried or baked[3] pastry shell. The consistency of the curry is quite thick to prevent it from oozing out of the snack. Pap or puff reflects the Fujian Chinese dialect 泡 ('pop'), which means 'bubble, blister, puffed'. It contains influences from Indian, Malay and Chinese cuisines and is a very popular snack food.
Although the origins of this snack are uncertain, it is believed to have originated in South Asia in part, due to the European colonial empire influences from the British Cornish pasty, the Portuguese empanada[4] and the Indian samosa.
The curry puff is one of several "puff" filo type pastries with different fillings, though now it is by far the most common.[5] Other common varieties include eggs, sardines,[6] root vegetables and onions, or sweet fillings such as yam. Many variations of the snack exist throughout Southeast Asia and India where it is sold in all bakeries as Veg Puff.
In Malaysia, curry puffs are commonly known as karipap and sold freshly fried at many Malay, Chinese and Indian bakeries, bazaar [8] or even the street food stalls. The curry puffs from Indian bakeries differ from epok-epok in the use of layered pastry that creates a flaky crust.
Other varieties of the epok-epok are filled with half a boiled egg instead of chicken. Another alternative is tinned sardines. There are also vegetarian curry puffs that are not spicy and made from shredded radish, tofu, potatoes and grated carrots. They are often eaten with sweet chili sauce.
The curry puff is a common snack sold in Chinatowns and tea shops throughout Myanmar, where is it known as be tha mont (ဘဲသားမုန့်; lit.'duck meat pastry'). The traditional filling is duck meat and potato spiced with garam masala, onions, powdered chili peppers, garlic, and ginger.[9]
Curry puffs are commonly seen in pasar malams, bakeries and food stalls in shopping centres. Additionally, the aforementioned epok-epok is a popular variation in some of Singapore's hawker centres, usually amongst Malay stalls. Alternatively, the more common type of curry puff has a thick or flaky English-style crust, with a mixture of Chinese and Indian styles in the filling.
They may also be categorised into hand-made or mass-produced machine-made puffs in triangular shape or half wrapped circular shape. Both variations are popular in Singapore, although some might argue that the former is typically more delicious. Curry puff variations are usually denoted in coloured dye markings on the side of the puffs.[10]
Besides the more "exotic" fillings mentioned, there are also more conventional flavours which are quite popular with the locals. These puffs are readily available in Singapore, which include sardine, black-pepper chicken and tuna fillings.
In Singapore, Old Chang Kee has been selling curry puffs for over 60 years and now has outlets all over Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia and UK.
