Thai fish cakes with cucumber and ginger relish

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 300 g fish fillet(s) (e.g. redfish or cod)
• 1 tbsp curry paste, red
• 1 egg(s)
• 4 tbsp fish sauce
• ½ tsp sugar, fine white
• 4 kaffir lime leaves (magrood leaves)
• 50 g beans, snake beans (approx. 3 pieces)
• 1 tbsp coriander greens, chopped
• 1 chili pepper(s) (red Thai), pitted and cut into rings
• 4 tbsp vinegar (white rice vinegar)
• 4 tbsp water
• 50 g sugar, fine white
• 1 bulb(s) garlic, pickled in a jar
• ¼ large cucumber(s)
• 1 cm ginger root
• 3 shallots (Thai)

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 30 minutes

Tod Man Plah

For the cucumber and ginger relish, place the water, vinegar, and sugar in a saucepan and heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar has completely dissolved. Remove from the heat and let cool. Separate the cloves from the pickled garlic bulb, removing the large, thin outer skin. Finely chop the garlic and ginger. Peel the cucumber and finely slice or cut into sticks. Thinly slice the shallots. Place everything in a bowl and add the syrup, mixing loosely. Cover and set aside. Cut the prepared fish fillet into cubes and finely chop. Mix well with the red curry paste, egg, sugar, and fish sauce, and form into a ball in a larger bowl. Toss the *fish ball* into the bowl several times until the mixture becomes firmer and stickier (this process allows air to get into the mixture and the Tod Man Plah will expand nicely when fried). Remove the inner leaf stalks from the magrood leaves, roll them up and cut into fine strips. Wash the snake beans, trim off some of the ends (Thai snake beans do not need to be trimmed) and cut into very fine rings. Mix the magrood strips, beans, coriander leaves and chili rings well with the mixture. Take about 1/2 tbsp of the mixture at a time, shape into small cookies and flatten (makes about 20 pieces). Heat plenty of peanut or soybean oil in a wok (about 180 degrees). Fry the fish cookies in batches for about 4-5 minutes until they are evenly browned. Place the finished fish cookies briefly on kitchen paper and keep warm in the oven until they are all ready. Serve immediately with the cucumber relish. Garnish: coriander leaves, chili rings and finely sliced ​​magrood