Thailand - Tod mun pla
Called tod mun pla in Thai, Thai fish cakes are a delicious burst of fresh fish, long beans, red curry paste and kaffir lime leaves, and are common Thai street food. They burst with briny flavors of the fish, fragrance and heat of the red curry paste and kaffir lime, and the crunchiness of the long beans. Good Thai fish cakes have a firm and bouncy texture and were traditionally made with fish paste. They are now common in many countries, especially Australia, where fish such as gem fish or ling cod are commonly used.
Thai fish cakes (tod mun pla)
Ingredients
- 350 g tender white fish (see note)
- 2-3 tablespoons red curry paste (see note)
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tsp sugar
- ½ cup long beans
- ⅓ cup Thai basil or holy basil, sliced into ribbons if large
- 5 kaffir lime leaves, finely julienned
- Fish sauce, as needed (taste mixture before adding!)
Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 spur chili (prik chee fah) or another type of big red chili pepper that’s not too spicy
- Thai chilies to taste, optional
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- ⅓ cup white vinegar, cane vinegar or rice vinegar
- 3 Tbsp water
- Cucumber slices for serving
- Optional add-ins for the dipping sauce: roasted crushed peanuts, sliced shallots
Note: In Thailand, the fish used is “pla grai” or clown featherback fish. Basa, a type of catfish, can be substituted, or experiment with any fish that has tender flesh. If you use frozen fish, make sure you dry off the fish well after it has thawed. Too much extra water from thawing will make the fish too wet to form patties.
Method
For the dipping sauce:
- Place both chilies, garlic, vinegar, water, sugar and salt in a blender and blend just until there are no more chunks. Use low speed to blend so there are still chili seeds and pieces for a nicer visual.
- Pour the blended chilies into a small pot and bring to a simmer, then simmer for about 3-5 minutes or until it has a consistency of a thin syrup. The sauce will thicken as it cools, so if it is too thick once it is cool, you can add more water. Set aside until ready to use.
For the fish cakes:
- Combine the fish, curry paste, egg yolk and sugar in a food processor. Process until fine, scraping the sides as needed. Keep processing for a few minutes longer until the fish is firm enough that it holds its shape well when spooned. If this is your first time, cook up a bit of the mixture to taste for salt and spiciness. If you want a stronger curry flavor or more spiciness, add more curry paste, keeping in mind that that also adds more saltiness. If you just want more saltiness, add a little fish sauce.
- Transfer the fish paste into a mixing bowl and add chopped long beans, Thai basil and kaffir lime leaves; stir until well combined. (At this point you can deep fry the fish cakes like we traditionally do, or you can pan fry them as per instructions below)
- Have a bowl of cold water and some paper towels by the stove. Heat a skillet over medium heat until hot, then add just enough oil to coat the bottom of the skillet. Wet your hands and a tablespoon of the cold water, then scoop a heaping tablespoon of fish paste with the wet spoon and place in your hands. Gently pat the fish cakes to form into patties and place in a preheated skillet. Fry until browned on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. You may need to add more oil as you go.
- To serve: Stir cucumber slices, peanuts and shallots into the dipping sauce and serve with the fish cakes. You can also serve extra cucumber on the side as it goes so well with fresh cakes.
Recipe courtesy of Bee, creator of Rasa Malaysia.
