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A curry puff (; Jawi script: ; ; , , ) is a snack of origin. It is a small pie containing a filling of curry, often of chicken and potatoes, in a fried or baked 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. Many variations of the snack exist throughout Southeast Asia and South Asia, where it is a popular snack food.
Although its origins are uncertain, the snack is believed to have developed in maritime Southeast Asia due in part to the various influences of the British Cornish pasty, the Portuguese empanada and the South Asian samosa during the colonial era. The curry puff is one of several "puff"-type pastries with different fillings, though now it is by far the most common. Other common varieties include eggs, sardines, root vegetables and onions, or sweet fillings such as yam.
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.
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. Curry puff variations are usually denoted by coloured dye markings on the side of the puffs.
Other puff snacks modelled on the curry puff concept have also been introduced, for example puffs with yam, durian, maize, Azuki bean, nata de coco, grass jelly, bird's nest and even custard fillings.
Besides the more uncommon fillings mentioned, there are also more conventional flavours which are popular with 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 the United Kingdom.
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