Fish cakes with ready made red curry paste

Thai Fish cakes can be made with ready made red curry paste, but try to make it yourself, as food processor will do all the hard work for you. I bought this ready made red curry paste to make fish cakes as I suddenly desired to eat and want to know the difference between ready made and freshly home made red curry paste. The truth is freshly homemade are the best, but as a alternative we can use ready made red curry paste, during our lazy times and for a quick starter or appetizer. For the Thai fish cakes use any white firm fish, I have used cod. Traditionally it is served with a cucumber dressing but can serve with any sauce you like. Instead of deep frying I have shallow fried it, but with the same red curry paste I made Thai fish cakes with tilapia fillet as well but deep fried.

Ingredients

  1. Cod fillet (boneless) – 200 gms
  2. Coriander leaves with its stalks (chopped) – 1/3 cup
  3. Egg – 1
  4. Red curry paste – 2 to 3 tbsp
  5. Fish sauce – 1 1/2 to 2 tsp
  6. Lemon juice – 1 tbsp
  7. Fresh red chilli (birds eye, chopped) – 2 tsp
  8. Sugar – 1 tsp
  9. Dipping sauce

  10. Cucumber – 3 tbsp
  11. Carrot – 2 tbsp
  12. Red chilli (fresh) – 1/2 tsp
  13. Shallots – 2 tbsp
  14. Coriander leaves – 1 tsp
  15. Lime juice – 1 tbsp
  16. Fish sauce – 1 tbsp
  17. Sugar – 1 to 1 1/2 tsp
  18. Water – 1 1/2 tbsp

Method

  1. First make a paste of fish in the food processor. The fish should be dry while making paste, no water should be there.
  2. Place red paste, egg, red chilli in a food processor and blend it, then add, fish sauce, sugar, and blend it again in a food processor.
  3. Place the mixture in a plate or a bowl. Slice the beans finely to 3mm (1/8inch) and stir into a paste (mixture).
  4. Stir in the paste (mixture), knead well and refrigerate for 2hrs to overnight. Remove 1/2hr from the fridge before cooking.
  5. Make patties shape, about 2inches wide and 1/2inch thick or make as per your requirement.
  6. Rinse your hand in plain water before making patties, to avoid sticking to your fingers.
  7. Heat the oil in a pan for shallow frying; enough oil should be there so that cakes are half immersed well.
  8. Oil should not be smoky or very hot, cook the fish cakes on medium heat.
  9. Place the fish cakes in oil and fry it in batches.
  10. Cook till they are brown and cook well on both sides.
  11. Remove the fish cakes with a slotted spoon and drain it on the kitchen paper. It will take 2 to 3minutes to cook the fish cakes.
  12. Repeat the process for the remaining fish mixture (paste).
  13. Serve the fish cakes with sweet chilli sauce or cucumber relish (Thai dipping sauce).
  14. Dipping sauce

  15. Chop all the vegetables very finely and tiny bits.
  16. In a mixing bowl, add fish sauce, lime juice, sugar water, and mix well.
  17. Add the vegetables and mix well, keep it aside for 15min.
  18. Taste and see, if any seasoning is required or not.
  19. Serve in a serving bowl, garnish with coriander leaves.

Notes

  1. Always fry one fish cake, taste and see, if any more seasoning is required or not.
  2. You can add cumin powder 1/2tsp, coriander powder 1/2tsp,   pepper powder 1/4th tsp, lime leaves for extra taste.
  3. You can add corn flour, if the mixture is too wet.
  4. You can make with squid, prawns, crab meat.
  5. You can use 2 fishes like salmon and cod, mix it and make fish cakes.
  6. You can make with green curry paste fish cakes, crab cakes for vegetarians with sweat corn.
  7. You can add more chilli in the fish paste and the dipping sauce as per your taste.
  8. You can add other ingredients of my previous fish cakes made with red curry paste.