Why These Fish Cakes Belong in Your Kitchen

If you have ever ordered tod mun pla in a Thai restaurant, you will know the appeal: a springy, fragrant cake with a golden crust, a bouncy interior and a sweet-sour cucumber relish on the side. The good news is that they are genuinely straightforward to make at home, and they freeze beautifully, so you can fry a batch whenever the craving strikes.

Unlike many deep-fried starters, these are not heavy. The fish is whizzed with red curry paste, a little egg and cornflour, then lifted with finely sliced green beans and a handful of fresh herbs. The result is light, aromatic and deeply savoury, with a chilli warmth that builds gently rather than shouting. Served with a cool cucumber relish, they make an excellent starter, a picky-sharing plate or even a light supper with rice and a simple salad.

This is everyday Thai home cooking rather than restaurant theatre. The technique is simple, the ingredients are easy to find in a British supermarket or Asian grocer, and the whole thing comes together in about half an hour once you have everything chopped.

Choosing Your Fish and Curry Paste

The single most important decision is the fish. You want a firm, white, fairly neutral variety that will hold its shape and bind well. Cod, haddock, pollock or ling all work nicely, and frozen fillets are perfectly acceptable, provided they are thoroughly defrosted and patted dry. Avoid oily fish such as mackerel or salmon, which overwhelm the delicate curry paste. You also need the fish very cold, so keep it in the fridge until the moment it goes into the processor.

Red curry paste does most of the heavy lifting here. A good-quality Thai paste from a jar is entirely respectable for a weeknight, and a tablespoon or two is usually enough for 500g of fish. If you are using a mild supermarket own-brand paste, taste it first; some are far gentler than others, and you may want to add a little extra. For more authenticity, look for a paste containing shrimp paste and galangal rather than one that leads with sugar and sunflower oil.

Two supporting acts matter just as much:

• Cornflour gives the cakes their characteristic springy, slightly chewy texture. Plain flour will not do the same job.
• Fish sauce adds the salty, umami backbone. Add it a little at a time, because brands vary wildly in strength.

You will also need green beans, finely sliced into thin rounds, plus a couple of kaffir lime leaves if you can get them, shredded as finely as you can manage. Fresh coriander stalks, chopped small, add a grassy note that the leaves alone cannot provide.

Making the Mixture

Cut the fish into chunks and put it in a food processor with the curry paste, one egg, a tablespoon of fish sauce, a teaspoon of sugar and two tablespoons of cornflour. Pulse rather than blend. You want a coarse, sticky paste, not a smooth purée; stop as soon as the mixture comes together and clumps around the blade. Overworking it makes the cakes rubbery.

Tip the mixture into a bowl and fold through the sliced green beans, shredded lime leaves and coriander stalks by hand. Now test a spoonful: fry a small patty in a little oil, taste it, and adjust. This is the step most people skip and most people regret. You may want more fish sauce, more curry paste or a pinch more sugar, depending on your paste. Once you are happy, chill the mixture for at least 20 minutes. This firms it up and makes shaping far easier.

Shape the mixture into small, flattened cakes about 5cm across and 1cm thick. Wet your hands lightly to stop the mixture sticking. You should get around 16 to 20 cakes from this quantity.

Frying for a Proper Crisp Crust

Shallow-frying gives the best texture and is far less intimidating than a deep-fat fryer. Pour about 2cm of neutral oil into a deep frying pan or wok and heat it to around 170C. If you do not have a thermometer, drop in a cube of bread; it should sizzle steadily and turn golden in about 40 seconds.

Fry the cakes in batches of four or five, giving them plenty of room. Cook for two to three minutes on each side until deep golden and cooked through. Resist the urge to move them about; let the crust form. Drain on a rack rather than kitchen paper, which traps steam and softens the coating.

If you would rather not fry, you can bake them at 200C fan for about 15 minutes, turning once, though the crust will be less dramatic. An air fryer at 190C for 12 minutes works reasonably well too, with a light brush of oil.

The Sweet Cucumber Relish

The dipping sauce is not optional. Its cool sweetness cuts through the rich, spicy cakes and makes the whole plate feel balanced. This version is quick and keeps for several days in the fridge.

• 4 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 3 tablespoons caster sugar
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce
• Half a cucumber, deseeded and diced small
• 2 shallots, finely sliced
• 1 red chilli, finely sliced
• A small handful of roasted peanuts, crushed

Warm the vinegar and sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves, then take it off the heat and stir in the fish sauce. Let it cool completely before adding the cucumber, shallots and chilli. Scatter the peanuts over just before serving so they stay crunchy. If you prefer a little more heat, add a second chilli; if you want it sharper, a squeeze of lime at the end lifts everything.

Serving, Storing and Swapping

Serve the fish cakes warm, with the relish alongside and a few lettuce leaves and cucumber batons for wrapping. A cold lager or a dry Riesling works beautifully. Leftovers keep in the fridge for two days and reheat well in a hot oven for five minutes.

Uncooked cakes freeze excellently. Lay them on a tray, freeze until solid, then bag them up. Fry from frozen, adding an extra minute per side. Once you have made these a few times, you will start improvising: a little lemongrass, a spoonful of lime zest, or a scattering of Thai basil folded through the mixture. That is exactly how home cooking should evolve.