Thai Yellow Curry Puffs (Karee Puff)
Flaky baked pastry parcels filled with spiced chicken and potato in yellow curry, a Thai and Malay snack-stall favourite.
Made with Thai yellow curry paste and Shortcrust pastry. Make a batch of the base first, then this takes minutes. Skip to the method
- Time1 hr 10
- LevelMedium
- Costabout £0.68 a head
- Oven200°C (180°C fan)
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Heat the oil in a frying pan. Cook the onion for 5 minutes until soft. Add your ready made Thai yellow curry paste (see the base recipe) and stir for 2 minutes.
7 min - 2
Add the chicken mince and cook for 5 minutes, breaking it up, until no pink remains.
5 min - 3
Add the potatoes, water, sugar and fish sauce. Cover and simmer for 12 minutes until the potato is tender and the mixture is thick and fairly dry. Stir in the peas and cool completely.
12 min - 4
Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan) and line two trays with baking paper.
- 5
Roll out your ready made shortcrust pastry (see the base recipe) on a floured surface to 3 mm thick and cut out 16 circles of about 10 cm.
- 6
Put a heaped tablespoon of cooled filling in the centre of each circle. Brush the edge with water, fold over, and crimp with a fork to seal well.
- 7
Brush with milk and bake for 22 to 25 minutes until deep golden. The filling must be steaming hot all the way through. Cool for 5 minutes before eating.
24 min
Tips
- Cool the filling completely before filling the pastry, or the fat melts and the puffs leak.
- Keep the filling fairly dry. A wet filling makes soggy pastry that bursts in the oven.
- Serve with a sweet chilli dip or cucumber relish.
Storing and freezing
Keep cooked puffs in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheat in the oven at {t180} until steaming hot. Freeze unbaked puffs for up to 2 months and bake from frozen for 30 minutes.
Questions
Can I make them vegetarian?
Yes, swap the chicken for 300 g of finely chopped mushrooms and extra potato. Cook the mushrooms until their water has evaporated before adding the paste.
Can I use ready rolled pastry?
Yes, but check the label for gluten and dairy. Any shortcrust works, though your homemade base recipe tastes best.
Can I fry them instead of baking?
Traditional curry puffs are deep fried, but baking is easier at home and less messy. Bake until deep golden.
More made with thai yellow curry paste
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.