Thai Fish Cakes (Tod Mun Pla)

Thai Fast With Fish Published February 26, 2026

Tod mun pla — Thai fish cakes — are addictive little patties of pounded fish, red curry paste, green beans, and lime leaf, fried until crisp on the outside and springy within. They are street food in Thailand, sold from carts and eaten with a sweet chili dipping sauce. The texture is unique — bouncy and almost elastic, nothing like a Western fish cake, because the fish is pounded to a paste rather than flaked.

These are ideal for a fish-day gathering. Make a double batch — they disappear fast.

FASTING LEVEL: Fast With Fish
SERVINGS: 4 (about 16 fish cakes)
TIME: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

- 500g firm white fish fillets (cod, tilapia, or red snapper), roughly chopped
- 3 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 50g green beans, sliced into very thin rounds
- 4 kaffir lime leaves, central vein removed, sliced into hair-thin strips
- Vegetable oil, for shallow frying

For the dipping sauce:
- 4 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 small cucumber, quartered lengthwise and sliced thin
- 1 small shallot, sliced thin
- 1 red chili, sliced thin
- 2 tablespoons roasted peanuts, crushed

METHOD

1. Make the dipping sauce: heat the rice vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, add the fish sauce, and let cool. Stir in the cucumber, shallot, chili, and peanuts. Set aside.

2. Place the fish in a food processor with the curry paste, fish sauce, and sugar. Pulse until you have a smooth, sticky paste — about 15-20 pulses. Do not puree into liquid; you want a paste that holds together.

3. Transfer to a bowl. Fold in the sliced green beans and lime leaf strips. Mix with wet hands until evenly distributed.

4. With wet hands, form the mixture into small patties about 6cm across and 1cm thick. You should get about 16.

5. Heat 1cm of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the fish cakes in batches for 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through.

6. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot with the dipping sauce alongside.

NOTES

- The fish must be processed to a paste, not just chopped. The pounding action develops proteins that give the fish cakes their characteristic bouncy texture.
- Kaffir lime leaves are essential for authentic flavor. They are available frozen at Asian grocery stores. There is no good substitute.
- These can be formed ahead of time and refrigerated for up to 4 hours before frying.
- They reheat reasonably well in a hot oven (200C/400F) for 8-10 minutes, but are best eaten fresh.