KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 31 — As far as the evolution of curry puffs for Malaysians is concerned, it's reached the apex; there's no need to tinker around with it further. All that matters is getting the right mix of potatoes, curry, and meat all folded neatly into puff pastry and fried. It works.  

And then KaripopKL comes along and introduces curry puffs with bizarre fillings like Mac & Cheese, Beef Bolognaise, Mushroom & Onion, and Mash & Sausages – combinations that are sure to spark many questions. What do you mean there's no curry? Doesn't that defeat the whole purpose of a curry puff? How can you call this local?  

“From the start, we wanted to be different and unique,” explains Aadila Azemi who, together with her husband Azizul Abd Latiff, started the venture. “If you want to stick with traditional filling, as most of the older generation prefer, it's always there. But the younger ones are proving to be more adventurous, and more receptive towards new things.”  

KaripopKL was the brainchild of Azizul, who left his corporate job at Boustead to set up Urban Village, a creative entrepreneurial arts centre in Bangsar. But it's Aadila's knowledge of curry puff making that made the plan become real.  

“We had talked about the idea for months before that, but we just didn't do anything about it because of our full-time jobs. Then, one day, we decided, let's do it,” Aadila said, leaving behind her job as a PR consultant to pursue her passion in the kitchen full time.  

A little worried that the “Western” puff might be a step too far, Aadila did proceed cautiously by carrying out a small market survey with her aunts and relatives – the sticklers for tradition – and it worked. They not only accepted the odd idea of Beef Bolognaise in a curry puff, but also buy them from her frequently.  

“Our customers in the rural areas tend to go for the Beef Bolognese,” she says, adding that the Mac & Cheese is more popular among the urbanites, while Mash Potatoes & Sausages are loved by the kids.  

Of course, Karipop KL's popularity wouldn't have happened without the right technique of getting the crunch of the pastry just right, which she learned from her mother. It also makes a difference that her fillings are made from scratch.  

“Nothing in the puffs are made with premixes,” she says, allowing for tweaks that cater to the local palate, and individual customers who order them in bulk. The Mac & Cheese, for instance, is made from a mix of Parmesan and cheddar, and carries with it a hint of onion; while the mash potatoes are made from real potatoes, none of that add-milk-and-stir instant formula here. 

All of this adds up to quite a bit of work for Aadhila, who does most of the work with the help of a couple of assistants. “Because it's all hand-made, the tedious part is getting the right and consistent size, shape and ratios of filling,” she says, adding that she makes 500 curry puffs a week, with 90 per cent of them sold frozen to customers who prefer to fry them up on their own. (She provides clear instructions on each packet for DIY-ers.) 

The couple have also adopted a slow, but consistent and successful approach in marketing and building the KaripopKL brand with little funding and one bunting; over the past six months, you've probably seen them set up shop in creative arts festivals and local gigs, gaining regulars who now order the puffs by the dozens – or in the case of one fan, even hundreds.  

This year, they plan to expand their business into more commercial areas – currently the ready-to-eat puffs are only available in Urban Village and The Tea Republic in Bangsar Shopping Centre – and ramp up production to about 1,000 puffs a week.  

“For a business that didn't have much capital to start with, we're happy with the results,” she says. “And I seem to get enough sleep, despite hearing stories about having to wake up early in the morning; I don't know how we manage it, but we do.”