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[4] and the Indian samosa during the colonial era.

In Indian food bakeries, it is quite common to find vegetarian curry puffs with vegetables like potatoes, carrots and onions as fillings.

In Malaysia, curry puffs are commonly known as karipap and sold freshly fried at many Malay, Chinese and Indian bakeries, bazaar [8] or even the street food stalls.

The curry puff is a common snack sold in Chinatowns and tea shops throughout Myanmar, where is it known as be tha mont (ဘဲသားမုန့်; lit.

The traditional filling is duck meat and potato spiced with garam masala, onions, powdered chili peppers, garlic, and ginger.

Alternatively, the more common type of curry puff has a thick or flaky English-style crust, with a mixture of Chinese and Indian styles in the filling.

Notable areas where karipap is popular are Amphoe Muak Lek, and Saraburi province in central Thailand,[11][12] where durian filling is used.