Tod Mun Pla & Nam Prik Waan (Fried Fishcakes & A Sweet Chilli Sauce)

A good long while back I wrote a post about how to make Tod Mun Pla, whilst I was always happy with the flavour, I was never really happy with the texture; although good and crispy they didn't have that rubberiness or bounciness that is expected in a Thai fish cake. This has led over the last few years to a bit of experimentation with both the recipe and the method and I'm pleased to say that now I think I've finally conquered how to create the perfect bouncy fish cake. The recipe will stay pretty much the same as before except there is an addition of some baking powder and an egg is no longer needed but otherwise it remains the same recipe. The key difference is in the cooking and preparation method- chilled, boiled (yes- boiled!) then fried.

You'll just need a few additional tools to help create the fish cakes. I've also served them alongside a sweet and hot chilli sauce which is different from the cucumber pickle that was used last time, though you could use either or both as they both make a really nice accompaniment to the fish cakes.

For around 15 so fishcakes you'll need:

• 2 fillets of skinless, boneless, firm white fish such as basa

• About six green beans sliced very finely

• A heaped tablespoon of red curry paste, I use Mae Ploy brand

• A good splash of fish sauce

• 4 or 5 kaffir lime leaves, rolled up into a cigar and shredded extremely finely

• A large pinch of sugar

• A heaped teaspoon of baking powder

And for the sauce you will need:

• Two large red chillies, chopped (deseeded if you don't want it too spicy)

• 4 cloves of garlic, chopped

• A chunk of ginger peeled and chopped

• Half a cup of tamarind puree

• A golf ball sized piece of palm sugar

• A pinch of salt

• A small splash of the juice from a jar of pickled garlic

• A level teaspoon of cornflour mixed into a thin paste with a little water

Begin by making the sauce by pureeing together the chillies, ginger and garlic cloves.

In a small pan over a low heat, melt the palm sugar with the half cup of tamarind puree, adding the splash of pickled garlic juice and mix well. When everything is dissolved, add in the chilli garlic and ginger puree along with the pinch of salt and let the mixture cook down for a few minutes and then finally stir in the corn flour blend just to thicken everything up. 

Once this is done put to one side until later. 

Now we move onto the fish cakes. Begin by blending all the fish in a food processor or blender until it's minced into a paste. Put in the sugar, red curry paste and fish sauce and blend again until it's as fine as you can make it. Using a spatula, mix in by hand the green beans and kaffir lime leaves and spread the mixture out thinly onto a plate, covering with cling film. Place the the plate into a freezer and allow it to cool down for 10 to 15 minutes; this will make sure that the mixture firms up and is it easier to work with. 

While the mixture is in the freezer, get a few items ready; bring a large pan of water up to a simmer and make sure you have a vinyl or latex glove handy (make sure it's a non-powdered glove). You'll also need a flat utensil such as a fish slice or a wok turner and a jug of cold water to hand. 

After taking your mixture out of the freezer; begin by popping on your glove and use a spoon to portion out a golf ball sized piece into your gloved hand. Dip your fish slice or wok turner into the jug of water and use it to flatten out and shape the ball of fish paste into a thin 1cm patty. As each patty is formed, again use the slice or turner to gently ease it off your hand and slide it into the pan of simmering water. Continue doing the same until all the mixture is used up and all the patties are simmering. You will notice as they cook they rise to the surface of the water. Make sure that they are fully cooked which won't take long, about four minutes or so and once they are done, scoop them out and let them dry on some kitchen paper for a moment or two. 

You can now heat up a frying pan with oil to the depth of about two centimetres and when hot, fry them for about 2 minutes on either side until dark golden and crisp. Boiling first has the added benefit of stopping the fishcakes from becoming greasy too.

Set along side the sauce you made earlier and you have the perfect bouncy Thai fish cake just like the restaurants

Gaeng Pa Moo (Pork Jungle Curry)

Like any recipe, over time you make amendments and adaptations, you find better ways to make a dish or variety of ingredients that have a better 'fit' and are truer to the authentic version of a dish.

This is one such recipe- way, way back in June 2014, jungle curry was one of the first recipes I put up on my blog- click here for beef jungle curry. However, despite being my favourite type of Thai curry, it was always one I felt I couldn't quite do justice to and wasn't as good as I wanted it to be. Over the last couple of years I've been fiddling with both the way the curry is cooked and the ingredients. 

Jungle curry, is a northern Thai curry, heavy on the vegetables, typically one of the hotter Thai curries and is made without coconut milk. If you like spicy hot, herbal flavours with lots of crunchy textures, you'll love Gaeng Pa. It's very easy to do. It's also easily adaptable to be a vegetarian dish- just add more of the meaty king oyster mushrooms and substitute the fish sauce for a big pinch of salt.

So may I present the upgraded- Gaeng Pa Moo (Pork jungle curry)...

This make four portions:

• 300g of lean pork, sliced thinly
• 5 baby corn cobs, cut into chunks
• a small handful of green beans, cut into chunks
• a large handful bamboo shoots, drained and rinsed
• 2 king oyster mushrooms, cut into wedges
• a large handful of pea aubergines/eggplants
• a large red chilli, sliced
• 3 fingers of krachai (finger root), finely shredded
• a tablespoon of green peppercorns
• a handful of holy basil (or sweet basil- but NOT Mediterranean basil!!)
• a few kaffir lime leaves, ripped into small pieces
• a large tablespoon of red curry paste (I use Mae Ploy brand)
• 300ml of meat stock
• a small splash of fish sauce
• a small pinch of palm sugar (or light brown sugar)

• Heat the stock in a pan (no wok needed for this recipe) until simmering. Add in the pork; it's thinly sliced so will cook quickly, in around 2 minutes. 
• Add in the red curry paste and stir until thoroughly mixed into the stock. 
• Add in the lime leaves and krachai strips, which will start to infuse into the broth. 
• Next pop in the chunkier vegetables; green beans, pea aubergines, baby corn cobs and bamboo shoots, let them cook down for a few minutes then add in the king oyster mushrooms, green peppercorns, sugar and fish sauce. 
• Cook for a few more minutes, stirring every so often; the vegetables should still retain some crunch. 
• Just before serving, stir in the basil and chilli slices and serve with rice.

Choo Chee Pla (Fish in Thick Red Curry Sauce)

Wow, I've been away for a long time again and for that I can only apologise. Those of you who saw my last post will know I'd been rather ill, had lost my appetite and wasn't really cooking, hence putting up a post from before I got the lurgy. You'll hopefully be pleased to know that the 2nd round of antibiotics have done their job and I'm now hungry and have most definitely taken over the running of the kitchen again!!

Choo Chee Pla is a dish that has been on my to do list for quite a long time now, there are certainly some similarities with Penang curry - they're both thick, creamy coconut based dishes, predominantly sweet and mild in heat. The main difference is choo chee uses a red curry paste rather than massaman and is always a fish/seafood based one. For convenience and presentation, I've chosen to use fish fillets but whole fish can also be used. For texture (and mostly indulgence) I've chosen to lightly batter and deep fry the fish; not an essential for choo chee; but very nice!

I like to eat this with lots of fresh sweet basil leaves, white rice and something tangy like a som tam salad to cut through the richness.

For two people use:

• 2 large fish fillets cut in half (I've used basa/river cobbler- yes I know it has poor credentials but it's robust and holds up well when deep frying)
• a large handful of plain flour
• 400ml of good coconut milk eg Chakoh or Aroy-D
• a level tablespoon of red curry paste (Mae Ploy is what I always use)
• a large splash of fish sauce
• a large pinch of palm or light brown sugar
• 5 or 6 kaffir lime leaves, rolled and shredded finely
• optionals to serve- sliced large red chilli & Thai sweet basil leaves 
• vegetable oil for deep frying

Heat the oil for deep frying to around 180 degrees celcius. Pat the fish pieces dry with kitchen paper and dust in the plain flour before placing gently in the oil, fry until a light golden brown and crisp (around 5-8 minutes depending on the size). I did mine in two batches so as not to overcrowd the fryer.

While the fish fries, make the sauce. Heat a dry wok and when hot, add in the coconut milk. Allow the milk to bubble away, reduce and the oils to start making their way out- this should take about four to five minutes. Stir gently to help it along.

Next pop in the red curry paste and mix well for several minutes until fully blended and the red oils start to float to the top of the sauce. Add in the fish sauce and sugar, stir well.

Drain the fried fish on kitchen paper before putting on your serving plate, pour over the sauce, sprinkle over the lime leaves and serve up with chillies and sweet basil. Don't leave it hanging around too long so the fish stays crisp.

Moo Khua Kling (Dry Roasted Curry)

 I Had a break from Thai food over the weekend and as a late birthday treat sampled some amazing Japanese/Danish hybrid food at Sticks n Sushi in Greenwich. We couldn’t decide what to pick from their vast menu so went for the lazy option; basically tell the server your budget and they pick for you! We sampled tataki, rice crispie shrimp tempura two ways (whole and with avocado in rolls), black sesame and truffle crispy cauliflower, salmon sahimi, tuna, pork and steak yakitori. The quality of the ingredients and the imaginative way they were served was amazing!
Anyway, since we’ve just arrived back, Moo Khua Kling is a perfect dish to cook as it’s really quick to make and doesn’t need many ingredients. It’s not really a curry at all, as it’s a dry dish though it is stir fried in red curry paste. It’s a Southern Thai dish and like most Southern dishes packs some serious heat. It’s traditional not to add vegetables to the dish but to serving cooling ones alongside.
For two people use:

• 350g minced pork
• a level tablespoon of red curry paste
• a ‘finger’ of fresh turmeric, if available, or a heaped teaspoon of powder
• 8-10 kaffir lime leaves, spine removed, rolled and shredded fine
• a large red chilli, or 4/5 small red, sliced
• a big splash of fish sauce (nam pla)
• optional vegetables (cucumber, green cabbage, lettuce etc.)

Bash the fresh turmeric (if using) into a paste in a mortar then mix the turmeric (fresh or powdered) with the red curry paste. Use a non stick wok to dry fry the meat over a high heat until fully cooked and any water has evaporated. Add in the curry paste and mix thoroughly, cooking for a couple of minutes until fragrant and even coloured. Throw in the fish sauce, chilli slices and lime leaves, leaving some back for decoration if you want to. Cook until dry (1 minute or so) then serve with the cooling vegetables.

Gaeng Phed Gai (Red chicken curry)

I tend not to make too many coconut based curries, partly just because there’s so many other Thai dishes to make and red/ green curries crop up just about everywhere but since I was in the mood for one, and I hadn’t covered the recipe for it to date, saw no reason not to include it; there’s a reason it’s one of the most well known Thai dishes! I’ve mentioned it before in the post I did for Green curry http://iwishiwasinthailand.tumblr.com/day/2014/07/27/  but I prefer to use a thinner, less sweet sauce so use half coconut milk half water. By all means if you prefer a thicker, sweeter sauce, use all coconut milk.


For 4 small portions/ 3 big, use:

• 2 small chicken breasts/ 4 skinless thighs, chopped into small cubes


• 50g of red Thai curry paste- use a good one without unnecessary fillers such as Maesri or Mae Ploy


• 200ml coconut milk (freeze the other half if using a tin)


• 200ml water


• mixed crunchy vegetables- I used a packet of pea aubergines, 8 baby corn, halved, a small tin of bamboo shoots and a small handful of green beans, trimmed and halved


• 5 red chillies, chopped


• a nobble of galangal, peeled and finely shredded


• a big splash of fish sauce


• a big pinch of sugar


• 4/5 kaffir lime leaves, rolled into a cigar and finely shredded


• half a packet of Bai Horapha leaves (Thai sweet basil)


• small splash of vegetable oil for frying

Heat the oil in a wok and throw in the curry paste- many kudos if you’ve decided to make your own version (I’m just too lazy and I think the Thai branded versions are excellent). Stir fry the paste for about 30 seconds, making sure it doesn’t burn before adding the coconut milk. Keep stirring, and you should start to see some of the red oils on the top. After 5 minutes of so, add in the raw chicken- stir, and cook for about 5 minutes before adding in the water and tougher vegetables such as the pea aubergines and green beans. Give it another 5 minutes or so before adding in the rest of the veggies, fish sauce, galangal and sugar and cook for a final 5 minutes. When cooked, lightly stir through the sweet basil leaves, they don’t need any cooking as such and sprinkle over the shredded lime leaves and red chilli.

Moo Pad Prik Gaeng (Pork Stir Fried in Red Curry Paste)

After an eventful weekend back home involving running down mountains in a thunderstorm, getting wasps in places where wasps definitely shouldn’t be and spending some quality time with friends at weddings and indoor BBQs, it was time to cook up a simple and quick Thai dish when I got back to Yorkshire. This quick street food dish needs just 6 ingredients…


For two portions use:

• 200g lean pork, sliced thinly


• a handful of green beans, cut in half


• 50g of red curry paste (Mae Ploy is a good one if you can get it)


• a big splash of Nam Pla (Thai fish sauce)


• a pinch of sugar


• about 6 kaffir lime leaves (Sainsburys sell them fresh, use lime zest otherwise), ripped up


• Vegetable oil for frying (and no I’m not counting this as an ingredient!)

Heat a splash of oil in a wok, when it’s hot, add the curry paste, stir fry for around 30 seconds- it should be smelling really pungent. Add in the pork and stir fry for 3 minutes until it’s almost cooked. Throw in the beans, cook for another minute before adding the fish sauce, sugar and lime leaves- and that’s it. Serve with rice.

Told you this was quick one!

Pad Ped Sator Goong (Prawns & Stink Beans Fried in Red Curry Paste)

Well, what can I say about this dish. I ate it 24 hours ago and it is still making it’s presence very much known. This is a dish for those brave foodies that will stop at nothing in their quest for new tastes. Typically, this is a Southern Thai dish and Sator beans are usually only available in the early summer months. This is one dish where I’m not going to attempt to suggest substitutes as nothing compares to the genuine article. Let me describe a stink bean… about the same size as a large broad bean, much denser, almost the same texture and crunch as a freshly picked hazelnut. Taste upon eating is vaguely sulphurous and a little acrid. Soon after, you’re left with a feeling of pent-up heat in the body. Later on- the name lives on; you can taste it in your mouth for 24 hours; even after many drinks/ teeth cleanings. If you sweat, I imagine you would smell of it and it has much the same effects as asparagus on body functions, only multiplied and for much longer. If you’re still wanting to try this, here’s my recipe…

For 2 people:

• A pack of raw or cooked king prawns


• A pack of stink beans (sator or even called petai or parkia- available fresh from Thai supermarkets,sometimes frozen but I would give them a miss if frozen).


• A tablespoon of red curry paste (I use Mae Ploy) check ingredients and try to get a good one without unnecessary fillers and additives

• 2 cloves of garlic, sliced thinly


• 2 kaffir lime leaves, shredded (most supermarkets sell these fresh)


• a splash of fish sauce (nam pla) all supermarkets have this


• ½ a cup of water


• vegetable/sunflower oil for frying

Heat the oil in a wok, When hot, stir fry the garlic slices for just a few seconds before adding the curry paste, stir until fragrant and strong.After 30 seconds or so, put the prawns in. If using raw, cook until prawns are pink. If using cooked, stir fry for around a minute then add the stink beans. Fry for another minute before adding the fish sauce and water to make a sauce. Give everything a good mix for a minute more before adding the shredded kaffir lime leaf and serve. I served mine with white rice.

PS. Don’t have this if you are due to a) go on a date b) visit the dentist or c) have a one to one meeting with your boss within the next 48 hours!!