Any good Thai restaurant will have these shrimp cakes on their menu. Laced with curry and paired with sweet chili sauce, the chubby two-bite coins make an excellent appetizer. At home, you can treat them like chicken nuggets: served with hot rice, or on their own as a meaty merienda.
What Makes These Shrimp Cakes Thai?
Shrimp cakes (tod mun goong) belong to the tod mun family of Thai deep-fried patties.
You can make tod mun from different ingredients: chicken, crab, even corn. Fish cakes (tod mun pla), in particular, enjoy as much popularity as their shrimp-filled sister.
Whicever meat you end up using, making tod mun is straightforward: Mince the meat, shape into cakes, roll in breadcrumbs, and fry until golden.
These shrimp cakes get their flavor from red curry paste, a pantry staple used to make spicy Thai curry. They come in bottles and packets at the grocery. Any brand will do, but if the label says "Made in Thailand", even better.
