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Fish, South and Southeast Asian

Tod man pla with cucumber salad and rice

Tod man pla are Thai fish cakes made with cod and green beans, served with a sweet and sour cucumber salad and jasmine rice. This recipe serves 4, takes 40 minutes, is medium difficulty, and costs about €3.80 per person. The key is blending the fish just until smooth without overheating it, so the cakes keep their firm, springy bite once fried.

Tonight, tod man pla, those Thai fish cakes with green beans, with a sweet and sour cucumber salad and rice.

Tod man pla with cucumber salad and rice
Total time
40 min
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€3.80
Calories per person
470 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Summer, Spring, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

Tod man pla have a texture that surprises people the first time, both chewy and springy, somewhere between a fish cake and a dumpling with real bounce. Blending the cod with red curry paste gives it flavor without too much heat, and the finely chopped green beans add a little crunch in every bite. The cucumber salad, bright and sweet, balances the whole dish with freshness.

The dish needs a bit of organizing, between blending, shaping the cakes, and frying them in small batches, but none of it is actually hard. Kids tend to like the fish cakes, especially if you tone down the curry paste a little. Save this meal for an evening when you have some time, or a Sunday if you want to cook calmly with kids helping shape the cakes.

The ingredients

4 people

Fish counter

  • Cod fillets 600 g

Fruits and vegetables

  • Green beans 100 g
  • Lime zest 1 tsp
  • Cucumber 1
  • Red onion 1
  • Lime 1

Dairy

  • Egg 1

Pantry

  • Red curry pasteoften in the pantry 2 tbsp
  • Roasted peanutsoften in the pantry 30 g
  • Rice vinegaroften in the pantry 3 tbsp
  • Sugaroften in the pantry 2 tbsp
  • Fish sauceoften in the pantry 1 tbsp
  • Sunflower oiloften in the pantry 15 cl
  • Jasmine riceoften in the pantry 300 g

Allergens Peanuts, Shellfish, Fish, Eggs

The step by step recipe

  1. Blend the fish with the egg, curry paste, fish sauce, and lime zest until you get a smooth paste.

    Don't over blend, the paste heats up and loses its elasticity.

  2. Fold the green beans, cut into small pieces, into the paste.

    Cut them very fine so they cook quickly.

  3. Heat the oil, shape patties with wet hands, and fry them in small batches. 12 min

    Wet your hands before shaping, the paste is very sticky otherwise.

  4. Heat the vinegar with the sugar until dissolved, let it cool, and pour it over the sliced cucumber, sliced red onion, and crushed peanuts.

    Make the salad right before serving, the cucumber releases water otherwise.

  5. Cook the jasmine rice in water, drain it, and serve the fish cakes with the salad and rice. 12 min

    Keep the cooked cakes warm in the oven at 100°C while you finish frying.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pat the cod completely dry before blending it, extra water makes the paste loose and the cakes fall apart in the oil.
  • Fry one small test cake before shaping the rest, so you can adjust the seasoning before cooking all the fish.
  • Don't crowd the pan while frying, the cakes need room to brown evenly on both sides.

The variations

  • Swap the cod for hake or pollock, both firm white fish that work just as well.
  • For a milder version kids will enjoy, cut the red curry paste in half.
  • To save time, shape the cakes a bit bigger and flatter, so you need fewer batches to fry them all.

What to serve it with

  • Jasmine rice, already part of the recipe
  • Iced lemon tea
  • Extra lime wedges on the side

Storage

Cooked fish cakes keep for 2 days in the fridge in a closed container. They freeze well raw or cooked, reheat them in a pan rather than the microwave to keep their texture. The cucumber salad doesn't keep, make it just before serving.

Questions about this dish

Why is my fish paste too watery?

Cod holds a lot of water, especially if it was frozen. Pat the fillets dry with paper towels before blending so the paste holds together properly.

Can I make the paste ahead of time?

Yes, you can blend the fish paste the day before and keep it covered in the fridge. Shape and fry the cakes just before serving so they stay tender.

Can I use a different curry paste?

Green or yellow curry paste both work, the flavor will shift slightly but still taste great. Don't skip it entirely, it's what gives the cakes most of their flavor.

How do I make this less spicy for kids?

Cut the red curry paste in the fish mixture by half. You can also serve the cucumber salad on the side so everyone can add as much as they like.

How long does it take to make tod man pla with cucumber salad and rice?

Count 40 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “medium”.

How many calories are in tod man pla with cucumber salad and rice?

About 470 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does tod man pla with cucumber salad and rice cost?

About €3.80 per serving, or €15.20 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains peanuts, shellfish, fish, eggs. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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