There’s a reason curry appears in so many forms around the world. Enchantingly seasoned, deeply aromatic and endlessly adaptable, it slips easily into flaky pies, crisp filo samosas, fluffy buns, steamed banana leaves and soft roti parcels.
These recipes move through Malaysian market stalls scented with frying pastry and curry leaves, Japanese bakeries stacked with golden karepan (curry-filled doughnuts), Fijian roadside service stations wrapping hot curry parcels in paper, and South African bunny chow eaten with your hands before the bread gives way to the sauce.
Beef curry puffs
'That is the perfect curry puff,' says chef Adam Liaw to Poh Ling Yeow as she demonstrates how to neatly tuck the edge into a perfect curl. While homemade puff pastry sounds intimidating, Poh shows it can be surprisingly approachable – though even she admits she often uses store-bought pastry when short on time. The filling is a fragrant mix of beef mince, potato, sweet potato and spices.
Chicken curry tacos
When you can't decide between eating two of your favourite foods, MasterChef winner Justin Narayan shows how you don't have to! This uniting of cuisines makes immediate sense once you taste it. Smoky grilled chicken, green chilli chutney and sharp pickled radishes all wrapped up in soft flour tortillas.
Chicken curry pie
The origin story of the this genius pie starts in the home of chef Charlie of Melbourne's beloved Tivoli Road Bakery, who was having chicken curry for dinner one night – and decided it need a home in one of the bakery's famous flaky pies. Chicken is marinated overnight to build flavour, then folded into a fragrant green curry paste scented with mint, coriander, toasted spices and yoghurt. Fragrant, buttery perfection.
Thai red curry meatballs
Somewhere between Thai red curry and kofta curry, Paralympian gold medallist Ellie Cole's meatballs simmer in a coconut-rich sauce sharpened with lime, fish sauce and basil. Fifteen minutes, one pan – weeknight cooking rarely feels this layered with so little effort.
Roti khurasan
Roti khurasan follows a distinctly Malaysian kind of food logic: brioche buns wrapped in spring-roll pastry, filled with curried beef mince, sweet chilli sauce and tomato sauce, then deep-fried whole. A dollop of Japanese mayonnaise completes the picture.
Easy masala dosa with coconut chutney
Masala dosa is all about texture. Thin rice pancakes that are soft and spongy in the centre and crackle at the edges before giving way to a warmly spiced filling – in this case, potatoes, lentils and roasted peanuts – served alongside a cooling coconut chutney tempered with curry leaves and lentils. Anjum Anand's shortcut dosa skips the overnight ferment, using a ground-rice batter for the lacy finish.
Beef rendang roti wraps
Samiah Latiff sold these at Darwin's Nightcliff markets to dedicated fans: slow-cooked beef rendang folded into flaky roti canai with peanut sauce and quick-pickled carrot and cucumber. Her mother's traditional Malaysian recipe, reworked for a new crowd.
Proper Punjabi samosas
These samosas swap deep-frying for crisp baked filo pastry, while keeping the warmly spiced potato filling that defines the classic snack. Dried mango powder (amchur) – an Indian pantry staple made from green mangoes – brings a gentle tang to the peas and coriander.
Coconut braised beef brisket kebab
Somewhere between a rendang curry and late-night comfort food, Shane Delia’s version starts with coconut-braised brisket that’s fried and packed into smoky pita bread with sharp pickles and rich sauces, including his 'sexy mayo' – a combination of Japanese Kewpie mayo, finely sliced makrut lime leaves, freshly desiccated coconut and rendang paste. The dish comes together with a 'big bang of flavour', says Delia.
Lami service station tin fish curry roti parcel
The beauty of a Fijian roti parcel is what happens after wrapping. Resting the warm parcel softens the bread around the curry filling, creating the tender and memorable snack. A can of mackerel makes a cameo in this Fijian comfort food classic, where you'll find it everywhere from street vendors to homes and even service stations.
Chicken curry puffs
Passed down from a Hainanese sailor, Malaysian street hawker vendor Uncle Tham learnt the secret of making succulent Singaporean-style curry puffs. The filling of chicken, potato and egg is generous, but it’s the Malaysian rempah – a blend of three types of chilli with galangal paste that defines them.
Crayfish BBQ with curry dipping sauce
Matt Moran cooked this for Christine Anu, in memory of her father's crayfish-hunting: chargrilled lobster, squid and octopus served with a fresh coconut curry sauce of galangal, turmeric, lemongrass and makrut lime for dipping – perfect for summer entertaining and building out your dipping sauce repertoire.
Beef rendang meat pies
A good beef rendang already has the concentrated richness pie fillings need. Here, slow-braised brew is tucked into pastry while crispy chilli oil cuts through the coconut-rich curry with a welcome hit of heat.
Bunny chow
Despite the name, bunny chow has nothing to do with rabbits. This South African classic layers chicken curry into soft white bread, turning an everyday loaf into a deeply comforting edible bowl.
Fish steamed in banana leaf (otak otak)
These banana leaf parcels feel like little individual presents, and before you even unwrap them, the aroma gives everything away: lemongrass, turmeric, chilli and coconut wrapped tightly around delicate fish. Otak otak is less about heat and more about fragrance, steam and softness.
Dal pakwan with green yoghurt chutney
Crisp little cumin-scented fried flatbreads are topped with warm dal, cool yoghurt chutney and sharp pickles. The appeal of dal pakwan lies in the contrast between textures and temperatures, and is a classic Sindhi breakfast.
Curry buns (karepan)
Japan’s love of curry buns makes perfect sense once you bite through the crisp panko shell. Inside is a cosy keema curry enriched with apple, miso and spices. You’ll find them in bakeries and convenience stores across Japan – and now, thanks to this recipe, in your own kitchen.
Chicken curry buns
Where Japan's karepan are crisp and panko crumb-shelled, these are soft, sesame-topped and filled with chicken laced with Southeast Asian flavours like curry leaves, fish sauce and lemongrass, tucked into pillowy enriched dough.
One-pot lentils with naan lid
Rachel Khoo turns dal into a complete centrepiece by sealing it beneath a naan lid that bakes directly onto the pot. Crack through the bread to find softly spiced lentils underneath, topped with lime-sharp cauliflower sambal and soft-boiled eggs.
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