Thai Fish Cakes

Thai Fish Cakes (Tod Man Pla)

In Thai cuisine, dishes such as fish cakes and spring rolls are snacks, often bought from street vendors between meals. Thai fish cakes, tod man pla, have a springy texture, achieved by repeatedly ‘slapping’ the minced fish against the side of the bowl to develop the protein. Red fish works particularly well for fishcakes as it readily develops this texture, if you use a different fish, the slapping is even more important and you may need to add a tablespoon or so of beaten egg to help bind the mixture. The cakes can be shaped hours in advance, covered and refrigerated on an oiled plate then fried just before serving. Ajat, a cucumber relish is the typical sweet and sour dipping sauce served with Thai deep-fried dishes to cut through the oiliness. A little ground roasted peanut is often added to the ajat served with fish cakes.

Makes 8 pieces

Ingredients
  • 500g redfish fillets, skin off, pin-boned and chopped
  • 2 tablespoons Thai-style red curry paste
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • Pinch castor sugar
  • 50g green beans, finely sliced
  • 1 kaffir lime leaf, very finely shredded
  • Vegetable oil, for deep-frying

Ajat
  • ¼ cup castor sugar
  • ¼ cup water
  • ¼ cup distilled white vinegar
  • Salt flakes, to taste
  • ½ Lebanese cucumber, seeded and finely diced
  • 2 red shallots, finely sliced
  • ½ long red chilli, seeded and finely chopped
Method
  1. Make Ajat: heat sugar, water, vinegar and salt in a small saucepan until sugar dissolves; set aside to cool. Stir in cucumber, shallot and chilli, transfer to a serving dish and set aside.
  2. Place fish, curry paste, fish sauce and sugar in a food processor and blend for a minute or so, until well pureed. Transfer to a large bowl.
  3. Gather handfuls of the mixture and repeatedly throw it against the side of the bowl for several minutes, until it becomes firmer and holds together.
  4. Mix in beans and lime leaf.
  5. Heat oil in a wok or saucepan.
  6. Meanwhile, lightly oil the palm of one hand and use it to pick up about ¼ cup of the fish mixture, squeezing it to form a patty.
  7. Place on a plate and repeat with remaining mixture.
  8. Fry patties for 2–3 minutes each side, until well coloured. Drain on paper towel.
  9. Serve immediately with Ajat.

Like this recipe?
A Month of Thai Recipes+Videos Online Cooking Class
Inspired by David Thompson!

Share page on:

Meet David Thompson

Join Me Soon

What Our Cooks Say

Melisa (Beacon Hill, NSW)
Melisa (Beacon Hill, NSW)
Read More
We made the pot-sticker dumplings and bang bang chicken – once again both exceeded our expectations. My husband keeps saying it’s better ordering this than going out to restaurants as the recipes and food quality are amazing.
Glennis (Caringbah South, NSW)
Glennis (Caringbah South, NSW)
Read More
The whole Be Inspired experience has helped me love cooking again. I was sick of cooking the same old things - meal time is a lot brighter thanks to you Roberta.
Kate (Killara, NSW)
Kate (Killara, NSW)
Read More
I loved the Fresh & Easy Chicken – simple instructions, only a few ingredients and the time factor absolutely spot on. Then came the highlight, the taste, no compromise on the enjoyment of that meal! For the time poor Fresh & Easy hits the mark indeed.
Jen (Tamarama, NSW)
Jen (Tamarama, NSW)
Read More
Thank you for stocking our pantry with such authentic ingredients and quality produce ... I’ve so enjoyed picking fresh leaves from the herb pots and loved listening to the chef's playlist while cooking. We really like the flexibility of cooking over a couple of days and changing the order we cook the dishes in when we want to.
Katrina (Arncliffe, NSW)
Katrina (Arncliffe, NSW)
Read More
I am absolutely loving these boxes! There are ingredients I have never worked with before so having the confidence to try something new is so much fun! The recipes are just amazing and the notes on what can be prep’d beforehand are a great help too. Thank you so much.
Nathan (Manly, NSW)
Nathan (Manly, NSW)
Read More
Loving Be Inspired! Felt like a kid opening up a Christmas present when the box arrived. Fresh herb pots are a nice touch!
Richard (Earlwood, NSW)
Richard (Earlwood, NSW)
Read More
Thanks so much for the Fresh & Easy Meal, it was excellent. We regularly get another meal kit delivery – your offering is vastly superior and a similar price, so big ticks.
Sandra (Garran, ACT)
Sandra (Garran, ACT)
Read More
I'm a competent cook whose learned so much from the Recipes+Videos Packs. The recipes are yummy and Roberta’s video guidance offers so many little tips to improve flavour and organise the flow of preparation. I enjoy her warmth, sense of humour, and ability to giggle at herself when she occasionally messes up.
Previous
Next

FAQ

How do you make Thai fish cakes springy?

The springy texture of Thai fish cakes, tod man pla, is achieved by repeatedly ‘slapping’ the minced fish against the side of the bowl to develop the protein.

What's the best fish for Thai fish cakes?

Red fish works particularly well for Thai fishcakes as it readily develops this texture, if you use a different fish, the slapping is even more important and you may need to add a tablespoon or so of beaten egg to help bind the mixture.

Subscribe To My Newsletter & Get A Free Online Italian Cooking Class (RRP $39)