Thai Fish Cakes (or Tod Mun Pla) are a popular street food/appetizer that pairs perfectly with Thai Style Tomato Chili Jam and a bowl of Spicy Thai Mango Salad. They are packed with traditional Thai flavors such as Thai red curry paste, fish sauce, fresh lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves, chilies, and coriander leaves. And the best part is that they are ready in just 25 minutes which makes them a perfect weekday meal.
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These delicious Thai Fish Cakes are traditionally deep-fried, however, they are also great when shallow-fried in a pan. Feel free to use your deep-fat fryer if you prefer. Also, to make things quicker and easier, serve them with store-bought chili sauce, they will still taste amazing!
What Are Thai Fish Cakes?
Thai Fish Cakes (or Tod Mun Pla) are deep-fried fish patties prepared with white soft fish flavored with aromatic Thai ingredients such as lemon grass, lime leaves, and fish sauce. Their texture is slightly different than other patties such as Lamb Kofta or Zucchini Fritters, best described as spongy - springy.
This delicious Thai street food is also great to serve as an appetizer, finger food, or even a main meal along with a bowl of Spicy Egg Fried Rice or Frozen Sweet Potatoes in Air Fryer.
Why This Recipe Works
- This delicious street food is ready in just 25 minutes, a perfect weeknight meal when served with plain steamed rice!
- You can freeze the leftovers and keep them for a month in an airtight container.
- Although Thai Fish Cakes are quick&easy to make, they are impressive and delicious enough to serve as finger food at a dinner party.
- You can make the fish cake mixture, shape them and keep them refrigerated up to 48 hours in advance for meal prep.
Ingredients and Substitutes
- Fish - I prefer using Basa as it is widely available in the UK and it is not too pricey. Other white fish with tender meat you can use are Tilapia, Bass, Monkfish, or Snapper.
- Red Curry Paste - The main flavoring is the red curry paste for this recipe. My favorite brand is Mae Ploy but you can use any brand you enjoy cooking with. They all have different strength levels so adjust the amount of paste and seasoning you use in the recipe.
- Fresh lemongrass - It is a sweet, lemony herb that grows in tropical climates and the stems are widely used in Asian cooking. Peel the outer leaves and use the pale yellow stalk that is softer and easier to chop. You can buy them online from Amazon or Asian shops.
- Lime leaves - They are great for flavoring Asian dishes such as curries and soups, similar to how bay leaves are used. Thinly slice them before adding them to the fish cake mixture. You can find them from Asian shops or substitute them with lime zest.
- Lime - It adds acidity to fish cakes as well as a bright flavor. You can substitute it with tamarind or lemon juice.
- Thai fish sauce - It is called "Nam Pla" in Thailand and is used for flavoring in Thai cooking as well as a condiment for serving at the table. You can substitute it with oyster sauce, Worcestershire sauce, or soy sauce.
- Chili - I use 1 small chili with medium heat but you can adjust the amount to your taste and also to the strength of the red curry paste you use.
How to Make Thai Fish Cakes?
Although it is very easy to make these delicious Thai Fish Cakes, there are a few simple tips to follow for the best flavor and texture:
Prepare The Fish Cake Mixture
Finely chop the lemongrass, and place it in a bowl along with the sliced spring onions, julienned lime leaves, and chopped coriander.
Place the fish, fish sauce, red curry paste, breadcrumbs, red chili, lime juice, egg, and sugar in your food processor bowl, and pulse to purée the mixture into a sticky paste. Scrape down the sides as needed.
Add the fish mixture to the bowl.
Mix all the ingredients together with a spatula until nicely combined.
Have a bowl of cold water to wet your hands and shape the mixture into patties to avoid the fish mixture sticking to your hands. You will have 16 fishcakes approximately 45 grams each.
Pan Fry The Fish Cakes
Place a large skillet or heavy-based pan on medium heat and add some oil, just enough to cover the base of the pan.
When the oil is hot enough, carefully place the patties in the pan. Do it in 2 or 3 batches to avoid overcrowding the pan.
Fry the patties for 2-3 minutes, until nicely browned, flip, and then fry the other side for another few minutes.
Repeat the same with the remaining patties and let them cool down for 10 minutes before serving.
Scroll down to the recipe card for the full, printable recipe!
What to Serve With Thai Fish Cakes?
Same as Crispy Duck Spring Rolls and Shortcrust Pastry Mini Sausage Rolls, these Thai Fish Cakes (a.k.a Tod Mun Pla) are typically served as a snack or finger food for festive parties such as Christmas or New Year's Eve.
They are also great as an appetizer when served with a bowl of homemade Thai Style Chili Jam for dipping and some fresh salad on the side.
If you want to serve Thai Fish Cakes as a main meal, you can serve them along with rice dishes such as Spicy Egg Fried Rice or steamed rice.
Top Tips From The Chef
- Use white fish with tender meat such as Basa, Tilapia, Bass, or Snapper if you want your fish cakes to have a soft texture.
- To make things quicker and easier, use a bottled chili sauce and add some sliced shallots, cucumbers, and chopped peanuts to it.
- Wet your hands when shaping the mixture into patties to avoid the fish mixture sticking to your hands.
- When frying the fish cakes, avoid overcrowding the pan. Do it in 2 or 3 batches if necessary.
Recipe FAQs
The leftovers would keep for up to 3 days when refrigerated in an airtight container.
Yes, they freeze beautifully! Let them totally cool down before freezing and keep them in an airtight container for a month.
The best way to reheat the leftovers is to reheat them in the oven. Place the leftovers in a 180° C (360° F) preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until they are heated thoroughly.
Alternatively, you can use an air fryer to reheat leftover Thai Fish Cakes.
Related Recipes
For more delicious Asian-inspired recipes why not try:
Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.
I hope you enjoy the process of making this delicious street food Thai Fish Cakes (or Tod Mun Pla) as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂
Bon appétit! / Afiyet olsun!
Thai Fish Cakes - Tod Mun Pla
Ingredients
- 500 g white fish with soft flesh (Basa, Tilapia, Bass or Snapper)
- 2 tablespoon Thai fish sauce
- 25 g red curry paste
- 1 red chili (chopped)
- 20 g panko breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup coriander leaves (finely chopped)
- 5 spring onions (sliced)
- 2 kaffir lime leaves (finely julienned)
- ½ lemongrass (finely chopped)
- salt (to taste)
- oil for frying
Instructions
- Finely chop the lemongrass, and place it in a bowl along with the sliced spring onions, julienned lime leaves, and chopped coriander.
- Add the fish mixture into the bowl and mix with a spatula until nicely combined.
- Have a bowl of cold water to wet your hands and shape the mixture into patties to avoid the fish mixture sticking to your hands. You will have 16 fishcake sizes of approximately 45 grams each.
- Place a large skillet or heavy-based on medium heat and add some oil, just enough to cover the base of the pan.
- When the oil is hot enough, carefully place the patties in the pan. Do it in 2 or 3 batches to avoid overcrowding the pan.
- Fry the patties for 2-3 minutes, until nicely browned, flip, and then fry the other side for another few minutes.
- Repeat the same with the remaining patties and let them cool down for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Use white fish with tender meat such as Basa, Tilapia, Bass, or Snapper if you want your fish cakes to have a soft texture.
- To make things quicker and easier, use a bottled chili sauce and add some sliced shallots, cucumbers, and chopped peanuts to it.
- Wet your hands when shaping the mixture into patties to avoid the fish mixture sticking to your hands.
- When frying the fish cakes, avoid overcrowding the pan. Do it in 2 or 3 batches if necessary
- The leftovers would keep for up to 3 days when refrigerated in an airtight container.
- The best way to reheat the leftovers is to reheat them in the oven. Place the leftovers in a 180° C (360° F) preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until they are heated thoroughly.
Nutrition
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Cathy
Delicious fish cakes and so amazingly easy. Everyone loved it!