Tod Mun Pla is a traditional Thai Fish Cake recipe.
The quick & easy deep fried appetizer from Thailand is often served as a street food at bustling night markets. The crispy fish cakes are typically served with a sweet chili dipping sauce and a fresh salad.
We’ve traveled extensively through Thailand and eaten at all of the best Thai restaurants in Toronto. We’ve taken Thai cooking classes in Chang Mai and learned expert cooking techniques courtesy of the executive chef at JW Marriott Phuket Resort.
Cooking Thai food at home is so rewarding! This authentic Tod Mun Pla recipe features simple and affordable ingredients like cilantro, ginger, garlic, lime leaf, red curry paste, soy sauce, canola oil, white fish and yard beans.
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What Is Tod Mun Pla?
Tod Mun Pla is a traditional Thai Fish Cake recipe.
The classic deep fried Thai seafood dish is typically prepared with a tender white fish like cod, haddock or basa.
The raw minced fish is combined in a mixing bowl with cilantro, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, Thai red curry paste, yard beans (also known as long beans) and fragrant lime leaf.
Tod Mun Pla is a classic Thai street food dish. Thai cooks form patties with their hands and gently drop them into hot bubbling oil. The fish cakes deep fry until crispy and are then served with a sweet chili sauce.
We love serving this Thai Fish Cake recipe as a snack or appetizer at lunch or dinner.
Travel to Thailand by Cooking Tod Mun Pla at Home
I love traveling through Asia. My first visit had me living in South Korea for a year as a teacher and it’s where I was first introduced to fermented vegetables like kimchi.
After my contract ended in Seoul I travelled throughout southeast Asia for 6 months, visiting the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and Laos.
On my first visit I spent over a month backpacking through Thailand. I’ve revisited Thailand two times since as a food and travel journalist and always love to discover new regional dishes. Over the years I’ve explored Thai destinations such as Ko Phi Phi, Krabi, Chiang Khong, Chang Mai, Sukothai and Bangkok.
What I found most fascinating is Thailand’s distinct regional food cultures. Much like the regional cuisines found in Germany, Italy or Spain, each town in Thailand had its own local speciality.
The first time I tasted Tod Mun Pla in Thailand was during a cooking class I registered for in Chang Mai. A group of traveling food lovers joined a local chef to prepare a Thai menu featuring Green Curry Chicken, Pad Thai and this easy Thai Fish Cake recipe.
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Where To Eat Tod Mun Pla
If you live in a large city in Canada or America you’ll likely have access to a local Thai restaurant that serves traditional Tod Mun Pla.
Haven’t traveled to Thailand before? It may be helpful to first sample Tod Mun Pla at a local Thai restaurant to better understand how the dish is served. You can assess the ideal fish to yard bean ratio, preferred flavour intensity of curry paste, and complimentary dishes to serve at the table.
I spent months researching the best Thai restaurants in Toronto, visiting popular restaurants that serve authentic Thai dishes such as Sabai Sabai, Sukothai, Khao San Road, Pai, Kiin, Bangkok Garden, Mengrai Thai and Favorites Thai BBQ. If you’re looking to sample an authentic Thai Fish Cake recipe in Toronto try visiting one of these award-winning restaurants.
Join Dobbernationloves founder Andrew Dobson in the kitchen by signing up for a fun virtual cooking class! Classes begin with a cocktail that you can sip while preparing 2-3 recipes that are curated around a unique culinary theme. Check out our current Cooking Class Schedule!
Thai Fish Cake Recipe Health Benefits
Our Thai Fish Cake recipe is packed full of healthy ingredients!
A good source of bone-strengthening vitamin K, cilantro is also rich in antioxidants that help protect the eyes from damage by free radicals.
Ginger contains at least 14 phytochemicals, many of which have impressive antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It also has a good source of copper, which supports your bones, blood and nervous system.
It is only recently that scientists have begun to identify the components responsible for garlic’s myriad health benefits. Rich in phytochemicals and potassium, garlic helps boost your immune system, fight cancer and protect your heart.
Yard Beans are rich in cancer-fighting vitamin C, energy-boosting B vitamins, and gut-healthy fibre.
Fish is a high-protein food that is low in calories, total fat, and saturated fat. High in vitamins and minerals, seafood has been shown to have numerous health benefits including decreasing the risk of heart attack, stroke, obesity, and hypertension.
Homemade Thai Red Curry Paste
Feel free to use your favourite store bought Thai curry paste at the grocery store or prepare from scratch in your kitchen.
Use a mortar and pestle to grind all the ingredients together until you’ve created a smooth and fragrant mixture. This homemade Thai red curry paste recipe yields 4-5 tablespoons.
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds, roasted until brown
- 2 cardamom pods, roasted until brown
- 1/2 tsp black peppercorns
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 10, large red dried chillies (seeds removed soaked in water for 10 minutes then finely chopped)
- 1 tsp galangal, skin removed and chopped
- 2 tsp lemongrass, chopped
- 1 tsp kaffir lime peel, chopped
- 1 tbsp coriander root, chopped
- 3 tbsp shallots, chopped
- 3 tbsp garlic, crushed
- 1 tsp shrimp paste
- 10, Thai red chillies
Thai Fish Cakes Recipe Cooking Tips
This yummy homemade Thai Fish Cake recipe is quick and easy to make at home.
- We suggest preparing Tod Mun Pla in a large wok to avoid splatter when deep frying.
- We’ve used canola oil in this recipe but you could use any flavourless vegetable oil with a high smoke point.
- We’ve used cod in this recipe but you can use any tender white fish like haddock or basa.
- You can purchase yard beans (also known as long beans) at an Asian supermarket. If you can’t find them in your community feel free to substitute with green beans.
What To Serve with Tod Mun Pla
Tod Mun Pla is typically enjoyed as a snack or appetizer in Thailand. The dish is served with a sweet chili sauce for dipping and a fresh salad.
If you’re hosting a large Thai dinner party, we suggest serving this Thai Fish Cake recipe buffet-style with other popular Thai dishes:
- Spicy Thai Basil Fried Rice
- Yum Woon Sen Thai Glass Noodle Salad
- Creamy Red Thai Pork Curry
- Papaya Salad
- Beef and Pumpkin Curry
- Red Prawn Curry
- Pad Kra Pao
- Thai Red Curry Prawn Burger
- Thai Pork Rib Soup with Vermicelli Noodles
- Egg Tofu Soup with Pork Meatballs
- Gai Pad Med Mamuang Thai Cashew Chicken
- Authentic Massaman Curry
- Nam Tok Authentic Thai “Waterfall Beef” Salad
- Thai Green Curry Chicken
- Thai Pork & Beef Mince Curry Khua Kling
- Khao Pad Sapparod Thai Pineapple Shrimp Fried Rice
- Thai Red Curry Prawn Burger
- Chiang Mai Noodles Khao Soi
Thai Fish Cakes keeps well in the fridge for 2-3 days so store it in an airtight container. Reheat in your toaster oven or air fryer to ensure they get crispy. Avoid reheating in a microwave as you’ll lose the desired texture.
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- Khai Jiao Thai Ground Chicken Omelet
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How To Make Tod Mun Pla Thai Fish Cakes
Tod Mun Pla Thai Fish Cake
Equipment
- mixing bowl
- French knife
- Wok
- Metal slotted spoon
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup Cilantro roots sliced
- 1/4 cup Ginger minced
- 2 tbsp Garlic minced
- 10 Lime Leaves thinly sliced
- 3 tbsp Red Curry Paste
- 1 tbsp Soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Canola oil
- 1/2 tsp White pepper
- 350 g White fish fillets (cod or haddock) minced
- 1 cup Yard beans thinly sliced
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine the cilantro roots, ginger, garlic, lime leaves, red curry paste, soy sauce, canola oil and white pepper. Stir well.
- Add the minced white fish and yard long beans. Cover and let refrigerate for 1 hour to marinate.
- Shape the mixture into 1-inch balls then smush them into little pancakes with the palms of your hand. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- In a large wok over high heat, heat 2 cups of canola oil for deep frying. When the oil is hot, reduce the heat to medium. Working in batches of 15 fish balls at a time, use a slotted metal spoon to carefully drop the fish balls, one at a time, into the hot oil and deep-fry until they turn brown and oil starts to sizzle, 2-3 minutes.
- Use the slotted spoon to transfer the balls to a plate lined with paper towel to drain off the excess oil. Repeat until all fish balls have been cooked.
- Serve Thai Fish Cakes with sweet chili sauce.
Nutrition
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