The authentic Thai fish cakes from the streets of Bangkok: white fish pounded until bouncy, flavored with red curry paste and makrut lime leaves, mixed with crisp green beans, fried, and served with a sweet-and-sour cucumber peanut sauce.
Ingredients
- 600 g firm white fish fillet (cod, pollock, or tilapia)
- 2 tbsp Thai red curry paste
- 6 leaves fresh or frozen makrut lime leaves
- 100 g very thin green beans (or yardlong beans)
- 1 piece chicken egg
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp palm sugar (or brown sugar)
- 500 ml neutral frying oil (peanut or sunflower)
- 1 piece cucumber
- 1 piece shallot
- 40 g unsalted roasted peanuts
- 60 ml rice vinegar
- 50 g white sugar
- 1 piece fresh red chile
- 1 pinch salt
- 4 sprigs fresh cilantro
Method
- Prepare the sweet-and-sour sauce: gently heat the rice vinegar with the white sugar and a pinch of salt until completely dissolved. Let cool, then add the peeled and seeded cucumber cut into small dice, the finely sliced shallot, and the sliced red chile. Chill until ready to serve.
- Coarsely crush the roasted peanuts using a mortar or a knife and set aside for finishing.
- Cut the fish into pieces and pulse it in a food processor in short bursts until you obtain a fine, sticky paste, without overheating the flesh.
- Transfer the fish paste to a large bowl, add the red curry paste, egg, fish sauce, and palm sugar. Knead vigorously by hand, lifting and slapping the paste against the bowl for 3 to 4 minutes: it should become elastic and pull away from the sides. This technique creates the signature bouncy texture of tod mun.
- Fold in the makrut lime leaves, rolled like a cigar and very finely julienned, along with the green beans cut into 3 mm pieces.
- Heat the frying oil in a deep sauté pan or wok to 170-180 °C: a small piece of paste should immediately float to the top and sizzle.
- With wet hands, take a walnut-sized piece of paste, flatten it into a patty about 6 cm in diameter and 1 cm thick, and carefully slide it into the oil. Fry in small batches without overcrowding.
- Fry for 2 to 3 minutes per side until the patties are golden and slightly puffed, then drain on paper towels.
- Serve immediately, while hot, with the cucumber sauce in a small bowl sprinkled with crushed peanuts and cilantro sprigs.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 457.3 kcal
- Protein
- 31.63 g
- Carbohydrate
- 20.56 g
- Fat
- 28.34 g
- Fibre
- 2.57 g
- Calcium
- 25.01 mg
- Iron
- 0.5 mg
- Magnesium
- 28.08 mg
