Thod Man Pla (Curried Fish Cakes)

Ingredients:

- ½ kg. boneless fish steak, minced
- ¼ kg. winged beans or French beans, finely chopped
- 1 egg, beaten
- ¼ cup chopped shallots
- ¼ cup chopped garlic
- ¼ cup chopped lemon grass
- ½ tablespoon chopped coriander root
- ½ tablespoon chopped galanga
- 1 tablespoon chopped krachai root
- 1/2 teaspoon peppercorns
- ½ teaspoon grated kaffir-lime rind
- 1 tablespoon shrimp paste
- 5-10 dried chillies, seeded, soaked, and shredded
- ½ tablespoon salt
- 250 ml. vegetable oil

How to cook:

1. Pound or grind together the shallots, garlic, lemon grass, coriander root, galanga, Krachai root, peppercorns, grated kaffir-lime rind, shredded dried chillies, salt and shrimp paste to a fine paste.

2. Put the minced fish in an electric blender and blend in the curry mixture.

3. Add the beaten egg. Pour the curried fish mixture into a large bowl. Mix in the chopped beans. Make flat, round fish cakes.

4. Use about 1 spoonful of the fish mixture at a time. Heat the oil in a flying pan and deep-fly the fish cakes until golden brown. Than, serve with cucumber dressing

Cucumber dressing:

1 tablespoon vinegar
2 tablespoon sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon boiling water
1 cup sliced cucumber
1 tablespoon chopped onion
1 teaspoon red chilli, finely shredded
1 tablespoon chopped roasted peanuts

Mix the vinegar, sugar and salt with the boiling water in a bowl, and stir until the sugar dissolved. Then, pour the cucumber slices, chopped onion and chopped roasted peanuts in a serving dish. Pour on the dressing and sprinkle with the shredded red chilli