August 9th – Singapore National Day. I was overjoyed when I found out that Singapore Connect is organizing a National Day-In-Place virtual hawker food fare. Covid has prevented us from making our annual trip home and deprived us of the hawker food that we crave so much. The organizer offered some all-time favorites from bay area Singaporean chefs. We were to order online and enjoy them during a virtual social gathering on National Day.

Alas, I am not savvy enough with online order as I struggled with adding items to cart?! Within 15 minutes, all items I am interested in are sold out 😖

Argh! I will make my own comfort food to get me through yet another Covid weekend.

This recipe is long and tedious, try it if you really, really crave curry puffs and have the patience to follow all the step-by-step instructions. Hanna helped in preparing the dough crust, she was mad at me for making her measure each dough ball on the scale. She argued that it won’t make a difference if the weight is not as precise. Maybe, but I am a precision freak 😬.

Regardless, the result is very flaky, yummy curry puffs. No regrets for an afternoon well spent. Happy National Day.

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Ingredients

Filling

• 1/2 large yellow onion, diced
• 1/2 large purple onion, diced
• 2 Tbsp minced garlic
• 3 Tbps canola oil
• 300g potatoes, peeled and diced
• 100g sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 3 Tbsp curry powder, add water and stir into paste
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, adjust to desired spiciness
• 200g chicken breast/thigh, diced
• 1 cup water, more if needed
• 1 Tbsp salt
• 2 Tsp sugar
• 2 Tbsp curry leaves, minced
• 2 eggs at room temperature

Water dough

• 400g all purpose flour, sifted
• 2 eggs at room temperature
• 150 ml warm water
• 1/4 tsp salt

Oil dough

• 200g all purpose flour
• 150 butter, melted

Oil for deep frying

Directions

Filling

1. Prepare hard boiled eggs. Boil eggs in salt water bath for 15 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool.
2. Heat oil in wok over medium high heat.
3. Add diced onions and minced garlic and fry until fragrant.
4. Add curry paste and fry for another minute.
5. Add diced chicken and stir dry for a minute.
6. Add salt, sugar, cayenne pepper, and water.
7. Add diced potatoes and sweet potatoes.
8. Bring to a boil. Adjust salt, sugar, and pepper to taste.
9. Reduce to low heat. Cover and simmer until liquid is almost dry.
10. Stir in minced curry leaves.
11. Set aside to cool.
12. Peel and cut hard boil eggs into small bite size pieces.

Water Dough

1. Beat eggs.
2. Combine sifted flour, salt, eggs and water in a large mixing bowl and knead to form a soft dough.
3. Cover with a damp towel while you prepare the oil dough.

Oil Dough

1. Combine sifted flour with melted butter to form a soft oil dough.
2. Divide oil dough into 22 dough balls, about 15g each.

Combine water and oil dough

1. Divide water dough into 22 dough balls, about 25g each.
2. Flatten each water dough ball, and wrap an oil dough ball in each flattened disc. Roll again into a smooth combined dough ball.
3. Cover all the dough balls with a piece of damp cloth to prevent them from drying out.
4. Lightly flour a clean, cool worktop.
5. Take a dough ball, and roll it out to a long flat strip.
6. Roll the strip up from the near-end into a cylinder.
7. Cut the cylinder into half with a sharp knife, and turn both half cylinders cut-side down.
8. Flatten each half and roll it out into a flat disc.
9. Fill each disc with about a tablespoon of filling and a piece of egg.
10. Fold the dough over into half moon and pinch the edges together.
11. Pleat the edges.
12. Set aside while you work through the remaining dough balls.

Fry the curry puffs

1. Heat oil for deep frying in a pan over medium high heat.
2. When oil is hot until bubbles runs up quickly against a wooden chopstick dipped in the hot oil.
3. Arrange the curry puffs in the hot oil, keeping some distance between puffs. Do not overcrowd the pan. Deep fry until golden brown on both sides
4. Serve hot.
5. It’s flaky, crumbly, and very tasty!

Yummy yummy for my tummy 😋