This little treat/snack is ubiquitous throughout South-East Asia, possibly inspired by Indian culture. A crispy layer of pastry on the outside, and on the inside: potatoes, chicken/beef (depending where you buy yours), a random chance of getting a hard-boiled egg, and of course, the curry. A close analogy would be to compare it to a pie, except that the filling being curry. Pretty good stuff.

Karipap King Kong

Well, this might very well be the largest curry puff in Malaysia, or that I have ever seen for that matter. Sizing up to be slightly longer than 6 inches by my estimation, this monster of a puff pastry also has the stuffing to back it up, too.

The first time I came across this wee store was once on my way to Kuala Selangor for a fishing trip, and from then on I was impressed. Since then, every time I happen to drive through Bukit Rotan, I make it a point to stop by and get myself one of these puffs.

Cost: RM 4.50 per puff, for both chicken and beef variations

Location: Bukit Rotan, 45000 Bukit Rotan, Selangor (the main store)

What to expect:

This thing is huge. I never thought that I would be almost full after finishing one of these curry puffs. That aside, let me start from the outside. For a curry puff of this size, the puff pastry certainly holds well, and looks pretty good, too. Upon the first bite, I noticed that the puff pastry was not very thick, nor was it crumbly, containing quite a bit of oil, too.

More importantly, it complimented the innards very well.

The inside of the puff is laced with small potato chunks, bits of chicken and beef (depending on which variant you buy), quarter of a hard boiled egg stuffed in, and the occasional curry leaf. The curry on the inside is thick, having a viscosity similar to that of toothpaste, and is gentle on the tongue. It’s not spicy by any means, and in that sense it lends a generous, gentle (non-overwhelming) curry flavor to the already diverse cast that are its individual ingredients, and fit for even zero-spice tolerant folks to consume.

Greasy? Yes. Delicious? Yes. Filling? Yes. Worth the trip? Depends.

Notes

Tourist tip: Located by the road side in Bukit Rotan, this store isn’t hard to find, displaying a massive banner that announces its presence for all to see. Whether this spot is worth a trip is ultimately up to you, as the nearest tourist attractions are easily 20 minutes drive away.

Other than that, this joint is open throughout the day, from 1 am to 7 pm. It does have another sister store in Selangor, around this area: 43900 Dengkil, Selangor.

Featured image source: halboor.com