Thai Fish Cakes with Prawns
These Thai Fish Cakes are even yummier with prawn mince and chunks. Easy to make at home with real authentic Thai flavours
Ingredients
- 300 gm raw prawn/shrimp meat (weighed without shells) (NOTE 1)
- 650 gm white fish fillets (skinless and boneless, chopped roughly) (NOTE 2)
- 1 large egg
- 4 kaffir lime leaves (2 conjoined leaves) (NOTE 3)
- 3½ tbsp red curry paste (NOTE 4)
- 2 tbsp fish sauce (NOTE 5)
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tsp sugar
- ⅓ cup thinly sliced spring onions
- 1 tbsp finely chopped coriander/cilantro
- ¼ cup rice flour (NOTE 6)
- vegetable oil for frying (or any neutral oil)
Instructions
- Pat the prawns dry using paper towels. Take 1/2 cup of prawns and chop them roughly, then set aside away from the remaining prawns.
- Remove the middle vein of the kaffir lime leaves, then roll them up and slice them thinly.
- Place the prawns (not the chopped ones), fish, kaffir lime leaves, egg, curry paste, fish sauce, lime juice and sugar in a food processor. Pulse or whizz at low speed until a paste forms.
- Transfer the fish and prawn paste into a large bowl. Add in the chopped prawns, spring onions, coriander, and rice flour, then mix well until combined.
- Pour enough oil to cover the base of a large frying pan, then heat oil over medium-high heat. Carefully lower 3 or 4 fish and prawn paste into the oil, using a 1/4 cup cookie scoop if available.
- Oil a flat spatula and use it to press the paste into flat patties. Cook for two minutes on each side or until golden. Remove the fish cakes from the pan and leave them on a cooling rack with paper towels underneath. Add in more oil if needed, when frying the remaining fish cakes.
Notes
(NOTE 1) Prawns - I used frozen peeled prawns, which were conveniently deveined and cleaned before packaging. If using frozen prawns, thaw them in the fridge before use. The weight of the prawns called for in this recipe is for 'prawn meat', so if you're using prawns with shells, peel and clean them before weighing them.
(NOTE 2) White fish fillets - I used snapper fillets, but any firm white fish such as bream, barramundi, flathead or perch would work. If preferred, you could also use trout or salmon. Ask your fishmonger to remove the skin and bones for you.
(NOTE 3) Kaffir lime leaves - A single kaffir lime leaf looks like there are two leaves conjoined together. These leaves are aromatic with a unique spiced citrus flavour. Greengrocers usually stock kaffir lime leaves near their herb section.
(NOTE 4) Red curry paste - My favourite brand is Thai 'Maesri' red curry paste. It's affordable and comes in a small can. However, any good quality red curry paste would work too.
(NOTE 5) Fish sauce - My favourite brand is Thai 'Squid' fish sauce, but any brand of fish sauce would work. Fish sauce is pungent with an intense fish smell, but it adds a unique salty savoury flavour to dishes. Supermarkets usually stock their fish sauce in the International section or purchase a bottle at an Asian grocer.
(NOTE 6) Rice flour is made by grinding raw rice into powder form, which means it's gluten-free. You could swap rice flour with corn flour or cornstarch.
Leftovers - Allow the Thai Fish Cakes to cool completely at room temperature, then transfer them into a sealed container and store them in the fridge for up to 3 days. When frozen they'll keep for 3 months.
I've used a third-party application to calculate the calories and nutritional information, so please use this as an approximate guide only.
Cooking measurements are in Australian standard spoon and cup measurements. For specific details and conversions, visit our Australian Cooking Measurements page.
Nutrition
Serving: 1fish cakeCalories: 109kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 12gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.03gCholesterol: 59mgSodium: 329mgPotassium: 174mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 630IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 25mgIron: 0.5mg