Thai Cuisine

Thai Fish Cakes Recipe – Thai Special

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Thai Fish Cakes Recipe – Thai Special

Thai Fish Cakes (Tod Mun Pla) are iconic Thai street food, featuring firm white fish blended into a flavorful paste with red curry, fish sauce, herbs, and green beans. These patties are pan-fried until golden and boast a pleasantly springy texture reminiscent of traditional fish paste methods, making them utterly addictive starters or snacks.

  • Prep Time15 min
  • Cook Time15 min
  • Total Time30 min

For the Thai Cucumber Sauce:

  • 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar (80ml)
  • 1/4 cup white granulated sugar (50g / 1.8oz)
  • 2 tablespoons water (40ml)
  • 2-3 teaspoons finely chopped fresh chili, adjust to taste
  • 1/4 cup finely diced cucumber, seeds removed
  • 1 tablespoon finely diced shallots or red onion
  • 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce (or soy sauce as an alternative)

For Thai Fish Cakes (Tod Mun Pla):

  • 250g firm white fish fillets (such as snapper, basa, tilapia) (8.8oz)
  • 250g raw prawn/shrimp meat, or additional fish (8.8oz)
  • 2 spring onions (scallions/green onions), finely sliced
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons green curry paste
  • 3 teaspoons fish sauce
  • 1 large egg
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 7 green beans, finely sliced into rounds
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup peanut oil or canola oil for frying
  • Fresh coriander/cilantro for garnish

How to Make Thai fish cakes

1

FOR THE THAI CUCUMBER SAUCE: Heat rice wine vinegar, sugar, and water in a saucepan, stirring until dissolved. Bring to a boil for a minute, then set aside to cool.

2

Once cooled, add chopped chili, cucumber, and onion. Stir in fish sauce.

3

FOR THE FISH CAKES: Peel and devein the prawns, then chop into chunks. Set aside.

4

Ensure the fish is bone-free, roughly chop, and place in a food processor.

5

Add spring onions, green curry paste, fish sauce, egg, and lime zest to the food processor.

6

Blend until the mixture retains some small chunks.

7

Add chopped prawns and blend again until finely mixed with small prawn pieces.

8

Mix in green beans using a spatula.

9

Wet hands to shape 2 tablespoons of mixture into 5cm (2-inch) wide disks.

10

Heat half of the oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Use more oil if needed for non-stick pans.

11

Transfer cooked fish cakes to a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat with remaining oil and fish cakes.

12

Cut lime into wedges. Serve fish cakes with lime wedges for squeezing over and Thai cucumber sauce on the side.

13

Feel free to leave a comment and rating—it’s greatly appreciated!

14

Please take a moment to leave a comment & rating. It’s appreciated and so helpful.

Recipe Notes:

Use firm, white fish (e.g., cod, cod, basa, snapper, grouper, or tilapia) to achieve the ideal texture.

Process fish with red curry paste, fish sauce, egg (or yolk), sugar, and optional lime zest until smooth and sticky.

Fold in finely sliced green beans (or long beans), chopped herbs, and lime leaf slivers for freshness and texture.

Wet your hands to form the fish paste into small patties—this helps prevent sticking.

Pan-fry in a thin layer of oil over medium-high heat until both sides are crisp and golden.

Serve immediately with sweet chili sauce and lime wedges, alongside cucumber or lettuce for refreshing contrast.

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