Spicy Shrimp Cakes

I think this is at least approximately what we get at Thai restaurants as Tod Man Gai. (Or probably more like Tod Man Pla, since if I recall, Gai is chicken, and Pla is fish.) The listed recipe is also only approximately what we actually made.

Recipe

Ingredients

1 pound large shrimp (26-30)
1 1/2 tablespoons red curry paste
1/2 tablespoon fish sauce
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 egg
4 kaffir lime leaves (cut into thin strips)
1/2 cup thin sliced green bean
oil for deep frying

Preparation:

Remove shells and devein shrimps. In large mixing bowl, combine shrimp, red curry paste, fish sauce, egg, and sugar. Beat mixture in food processor on high speed until mixture turns paste-like.

Transfer mixture to mixing bowl. Add green beans and kaffir lime leaves. Mix well.

Cooking Procedures:

Heat oil to 375 degrees. Drop tablespoons of the shrimp mixture into the oil, until misture is used up. Deep fry until the shrimp cakes are cooked. They should look red-brown in color. Serve with cucumber salad.

Tips:

You can buy Thai curry paste in (some) oriental groceries, or find a good Thai cookbook. They vary in strength, start small and work up.

Attribution:

This recipe is from "Joy of Thai Cooking", by Ravadi Lekprichakul Quinn, published by her restaurant, The Emerald of Siam, 1314 Jadwin Avenue, Richland WA 99352, ISBN 0-9628783-0-8. This is an astonishingly good restaurant in Richland, WA, an oasis of good food in the middle of a (literal and figurative) desert.

jfw@funhouse.com

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