Malaysian Chicken Curry Puffs, and a new cookbook

Malaysian chicken curry puffs a first in my kitchen, and a dish that has become a favorite and one that I will cook frequently . Malaysian cuisine is one that has been on my checklist to learn and cook. I am not really sure why I didn't try it sooner, but thanks to our friend (aka frequent dinner guest :) ) it moved up on my foods to cook very quickly. While on a trip to Malaysia he picked me up a wonderful cook book. It is called "The Food Of Malaysia" and I love it! There are so many dishes to try and I've already made a few.

Normally when I cook I cook by feeling and don't follow specific instructions. When it's something completely new to me I usually research the dish to get a general idea of what ingredients go into it. Then I cook it my way, adjusting to my likes and wants to make it my own. But since I'm making these for the very first time I will follow the instructions in the cookbook. Below is the recipe as found in the cook book.

Your ingredients: makes 40 pieces

For the filling~

5 tbsp. (75 ml) S oil

1 medium onion

1 tbsp. (10 ml) grated ginger

3 1/2 tsp (17 ml ) meat curry powder

1/2 tsp (2 ml) chili powder

1/2 tsp (2 ml) turmeric powder

2 large potatoes ( 500 grams / 1lb ) peeled,boiled and diced

2 tsp (10 ml )sugar

1/2 tsp (2 ml) black pepper

1 tsp salt

2 cups chicken meat (400 grams / 14 oz) or 2 large chicken breast, cooked and diced

1/4 cup (60 ml) water

Pastry ingredients:

3 1/2 cups (500 grams ) flour

150 grams (5 oz) butter or shortening

3/4 cup + 4 tsp (200 ml) water

1/2 tsp (2 ml) salt

1. In a skillet gently fry the onion and ginger until onion is golden brown. Next add the curry,chili and turmeric and fry for 3 minutes or until fragrant. Next add the potatoes,sugar,peeper and salt and cook for 10 minutes. Then add the chicken and water and cook until mixture is almost dry. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

2. Knead the pastry into a smooth dough, cover and set aside in a warm place for 30 minutes. Dividing the dough into 2 halves, roll each half on a floured surface to a 3 mm (1/8 in) thick. With a cookie cutter cut into the dough, 10 cm ( 4 in) circles in diameter. Fill center of each circular dough with 1 tbsp (15 ml) of chicken filling, fold in half and crimp and roll edges to form a simple wave pattern. Make sure the pouch is well sealed. Repeat until all the dough has been used.

3. Deep fry each puff until it is lightly golden brown on both sides, or you can bake them at 180 c (350f) for 30 minutes or until lightly golden. Serve hot or at room temperature, with a spicy chili sauce.

**Notes,I used commercially prepared pastry dough and baked the pastries instead of frying, this worked just fine. The pastries were flaky and absolutely delicious! I also made only half a recipe and cut the pastry into a bit bigger circles to serve as a main dish for dinner.

Next is the recipe for the chili sauce that was served to top the puffs. It was so good and added another unique taste.

Ginger Chili Sauce:

4 red chillies, sliced

3 cm (1 1/4 in) ginger,sliced

3 cloves of garlic

5 tbsp (75 ml) water

1 1/2 tbsp (22 ml) sugar

1 1/2 tbsp ( 22 ml)lime juice

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp sesame oil (vegetable oil)

1. Grind all ingredients together in a mortar or in a blender. This sauce will keep in the refrigerator for 1 week. Enjoy!

These delicious puff pastries are so good and so easy to make. I did a little research and learned that they are a favorite Malaysian in-between meals snacks that were originally created by Indian cooks. They are apparently so popular that they are found everywhere and enjoyed at all hours of the day.