Thai Fish Cakes

Name: Thai Fish Cakes
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 1 lb white fish fillets (cod, tilapia, or catfish), roughly chopped; 2 tbsp Thai red curry paste; 2 tbsp fish sauce; 1 large egg; 2 tsp granulated sugar; 6 fresh kaffir lime leaves (or 1 tsp lime zest), very finely sliced; 1/2 cup green beans (fresh), very thinly sliced; 1/4 cup vegetable oil (for frying); 1/2 cup store-bought sweet chili sauce; 1/2 cup cucumber, finely diced

Springy, aromatic fish cakes made with blended white fish, red curry paste, and fresh kaffir lime leaves, pan-fried until golden and crisp. Serve with sweet chili dipping sauce for a classic Thai street-food appetizer.

50 minMediumServes 4210 cal/serving

ThaiAppetizerStovetopPescatarianLow CarbHalal-friendlyDairy-FreeLow-SodiumPork-FreeAlcohol-Free

Cook this free in the appFree. No download, no account. The screen stays awake and each step can run its own timer.

Ingredients

1 lb white fish fillets (cod, tilapia, or catfish), roughly chopped
2 tbsp Thai red curry paste
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 large egg
2 tsp granulated sugar
6 fresh kaffir lime leaves (or 1 tsp lime zest), very finely sliced
1/2 cup green beans (fresh), very thinly sliced
1/4 cup vegetable oil (for frying)
1/2 cup store-bought sweet chili sauce
1/2 cup cucumber, finely diced

Instructions

1

Place 1 lb roughly chopped white fish fillets (cod, tilapia, or catfish) in a food processor with 2 tbsp Thai red curry paste, 2 tbsp fish sauce, 1 large egg, and 2 tsp granulated sugar. Pulse until a smooth paste forms - do not over-process.
2

Transfer the fish paste to a bowl. Fold in 6 very finely sliced fresh kaffir lime leaves (or 1 tsp lime zest) and 1/2 cup very thinly sliced green beans (fresh) until evenly mixed.
3

With damp hands, shape the mixture into patties about 2 inches wide and 1/2 inch thick. Refrigerate for 15 minutes to firm up.
4

Heat 1/4 cup vegetable oil (for frying) in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, fry the fish cakes 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through to an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C).
5

Drain on paper towels. Serve hot with 1/2 cup store-bought sweet chili sauce and 1/2 cup finely diced cucumber alongside.

Cook this free in the appCooking it now? The app keeps the screen awake and times each step. Free, nothing to install.

Keep this recipe

Prints the ingredients and method only.

The Thai Kitchen 30 recipes from this kitchen in one printable PDF. $5, no account.

Questions

What internal temperature should Thai Fish Cakes reach?

For Thai Fish Cakes, the target internal temperature is 145 F (about 65 C), given in step 4. A probe thermometer removes the guesswork.

Is there a substitute for curry paste in Thai Fish Cakes?

The entry for Thai Fish Cakes calls for 2 tbsp Thai red curry paste. In its place: Another color of Thai curry paste works, with a shift in heat and flavor. In a pinch, bloom curry powder in the oil with minced garlic, ginger and a little lime zest.

Can I use a different white fish instead of the fish in Thai Fish Cakes?

Yes. Any firm white fish of similar thickness works: cod, haddock, pollock and halibut are interchangeable here. Timing follows thickness, not species. As written, the entry for Thai Fish Cakes uses 1 lb white fish fillets (cod, tilapia, or catfish), roughly chopped.

Can I make Thai Fish Cakes less spicy?

Yes. The heat in Thai Fish Cakes comes from 2 tbsp Thai red curry paste. For a milder plate, start with half the red curry paste and add more to taste at the end; nothing else in the method changes.

Is Thai Fish Cakes keto-friendly?

A serving of Thai Fish Cakes carries 16 g of carbohydrate, 2 g of it fiber. Against a strict 20 g keto day that is 80 percent of the budget; against a moderate 100 g low-carb day it is 16 percent.

Serve it with

Cook this free in the app

Textual Chef is 4,544 plain-text recipes, free to read and free to cook from. No account, no paywall, no ads, no life stories. Open this one in the app and each quantity sits inside the step that uses it, so you read once and cook.

Every recipe is curated or public-domain sourced, written to one template and checked before it publishes. Nothing here is a scraped blog post.

Cook this free in the appNo download needed. It opens in your browser. The kitchen tools (planner, shopping list, pantry, import) are $5.33 a month billed annually; the first 30 days are free.