Thai fish cakes
ทอดมันปลา (tod man pla) — springy red-curry fish cakes with long beans
Bouncy, not fluffy, is how a good tod man pla should feel between the teeth: the fish is worked with red curry paste into a sticky, elastic paste, studded with slices of long bean and shredded lime leaf, then fried in small discs that puff and ruffle at the edges. Markets all over Thailand, from Chiang Mai to Hat Yai, sell them by the bagful, and at home they are a starter or part of a shared meal with a sweet-sour cucumber dip scattered with crushed peanuts. Featherback fish (pla grai) is the classic choice, but any firm white fish works. Chef's tip: rub your hands with a little oil before shaping and the sticky paste won't cling to your fingers.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the fish cakes
For the cucumber dip
Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Pat 1 ⅛ lb firm white fish fillets dry. If it feels at all warm, put it in the freezer for 15 minutes; cold fish binds into a springier paste. Use a separate board for the raw fish and wash it afterwards.
Step 2: Blitz the fish in a food processor with 2 ½ tbsp Thai red curry paste, 1 egg, 1 tbsp fish sauce and 1 tsp sugar for 1–2 minutes, until smooth and sticky enough to pull away from the sides. Stop there: running the machine too long warms the paste and loosens it.
2 minStep 3: Tip the paste into a bowl. With a wet hand, scoop it up and throw it back into the bowl, again and again, for 2–3 minutes until it turns glossy and springy. Skip this slapping and the cakes come out crumbly instead of bouncy.
3 minStep 4: Fold in 2 ⅛ oz long beans and 6 makrut lime leaves until evenly spread.
Step 5: For the dip, warm 4 tbsp white vinegar, 4 tbsp sugar, 3 tbsp water and ½ tsp salt in a small pan for 2 minutes until the sugar dissolves, then cool. Stir in 1 cucumber, 1 shallot and 1 red chilli, and scatter 2 tbsp roasted peanuts on top just before serving.
2 minStep 6: Heat 3 ¼ cups vegetable oil in a wok or deep pan to 350°F. With lightly oiled hands, flatten heaped tablespoons of paste into rough 6 cm discs about 1 cm thick.
5 minStep 7: Fry in batches of 5 or 6 for 3–4 minutes, turning once, until puffed and golden-brown and cooked through: the centre should be opaque with no glassy patches (145°F / 145 °F). Drain on a rack.
12 minStep 8: Serve hot with the cucumber dip.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 26 g
- Carbs
- 20 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does thai fish cakes take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of egg?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
- What can I use instead of fish sauce?
- Soy sauce with a squeeze of lime (vegetarian).
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