Thai Prawn Cake: A Delicious Seafood Snack

If you're a fan of seafood, you're going to love Thai prawn cakes. These delicious appetizers are made with fresh prawns, herbs, and spices, and are served with a sweet and spicy dipping sauce.

They're perfect for a party or as a starter for a Thai-inspired meal.

Preparing the Thai prawn cake mixture is easy. Simply blend together fresh prawns, coriander, garlic, white pepper, sea salt, and baking powder.

Once the mixture is smooth, shape it into small patties and coat them in panko breadcrumbs.

Then, fry the patties until they're golden brown and crispy on the outside.

When it comes to serving Thai prawn cakes, they're traditionally served with a sweet and spicy dipping sauce made from Thai fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, and chilli.

You can also serve them with a side of rocket salad for a fresh and healthy twist.

These tasty appetizers are sure to be a hit with seafood lovers and Thai food enthusiasts alike.

Key Takeaways

• Thai prawn cakes are a delicious appetizer made with fresh prawns, herbs, and spices.
• The mixture is easy to prepare and can be shaped into small patties and coated in panko breadcrumbs.
• Thai prawn cakes are traditionally served with a sweet and spicy dipping sauce made from Thai fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, and chilli.

Preparing the Thai Prawn Cake Mixture

If you want to make Thai prawn cakes, you need to prepare the mixture. This section will guide you through the process of selecting ingredients, creating the base, and seasoning and flavouring your prawn cake mixture.

Selecting Ingredients

The key ingredient for your Thai prawn cake mixture is, of course, prawns. Make sure you get fresh, high-quality prawns that are peeled and deveined.

You can either chop the prawns roughly by hand or use a food processor to mince them into a fine paste.

To create the base for your mixture, you will need egg, breadcrumbs, and cornstarch. You can use either regular breadcrumbs or panko breadcrumbs for a crunchier texture.

For seasoning and flavouring, you will need salt, pepper, sugar, garlic, coriander (also known as cilantro), lime juice, and ginger.

You can also add fish sauce, shrimp paste, red curry paste, coriander root, and kaffir lime leaves for an authentic Thai taste.

Creating the Base

To create the base for your Thai prawn cake mixture, mix together the minced prawns, egg, breadcrumbs, and cornstarch in a bowl.

Stir the mixture in one direction vigorously until it binds together.

Seasoning and Flavouring

Once you have created the base for your mixture, it's time to season and flavour it.

Add salt, pepper, sugar, garlic, coriander, lime juice, and ginger to the mixture.

You can also add fish sauce, shrimp paste, red curry paste, coriander root, and kaffir lime leaves if desired.

Mix everything together until the seasoning and flavouring is evenly distributed throughout the mixture.

Taste the mixture and adjust the seasoning and flavouring as needed.

Now that your Thai prawn cake mixture is ready, it's time to start cooking. Head over to the next section to learn how to cook your prawn cakes to perfection.

Cooking and Serving

Frying Techniques

To get the perfect crispy texture for your Thai prawn cakes, you can either deep fry or shallow fry them.

Deep frying is the traditional method and will give you the crispiest results.

Heat vegetable oil in a deep skillet until it reaches 350°F.

Add the patties to the oil, a few at a time, and fry until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side.

Drain on paper towels and serve hot with dipping sauce.

If you prefer a healthier option, shallow frying is a good alternative.

Heat a thin layer of vegetable oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat.

Add the patties and cook until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes per side.

Drain on paper towels and serve hot with dipping sauce.

Baking Option

If you want to avoid frying altogether, you can also bake the Thai prawn cakes.

Preheat your oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place the patties on the baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden brown.

Serve hot with dipping sauce.

Presentation and Accompaniments

Thai prawn cakes make a great appetizer for any occasion.

Serve them hot with a sweet chilli sauce for dipping. You can also add a Thai sweet chilli sauce for extra flavour.

These cakes are best served fresh, but you can reheat them in the oven or microwave if you need to make them ahead of time.

To make them look even more appetizing, you can serve them on a bed of rocket salad. This will add a fresh and peppery taste to the dish.

You can also garnish with fresh coriander leaves and a wedge of lime.

Serves: 4

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes (frying) or 15-20 minutes (baking)

Remember to experiment with your cooking techniques and presentation to find the perfect combination that suits your taste.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you make Thai prawn cakes from scratch?

To make Thai prawn cakes from scratch, you will need to combine prawns, curry paste, egg, breadcrumbs, and other ingredients in a food processor.

After blending the ingredients, shape the mixture into small patties and deep fry them until they are golden brown. For a more detailed recipe, check out Rasa Malaysia's shrimp cake recipe.

What's the simplest recipe for Thai shrimp cakes?

The simplest recipe for Thai shrimp cakes involves mixing prawns, red curry paste, egg, breadcrumbs, and fish sauce in a bowl.

After mixing, shape the mixture into small patties and fry them until they are crispy and golden brown. For a quick and easy recipe, check out That Spicy Chick's spicy Thai shrimp cake recipe.

Can you share a traditional recipe for Thai prawn cakes?

A traditional Thai prawn cake recipe typically involves using fresh prawns, red curry paste, fish sauce, and kaffir lime leaves.

Some recipes may also include shredded coconut or chopped green beans. For a traditional recipe, check out Marion's Kitchen's Thai shrimp cake recipe.

Are there any variations of prawn cakes in Vietnamese cuisine?

Yes, there are variations of prawn cakes in Vietnamese cuisine.

One popular version is called "banh cong," which is made with prawns, mung beans, and rice flour.

Another version is called "banh tom," which is made with whole prawns and sweet potato. Both versions are typically deep-fried and served with a sweet and sour dipping sauce.

What ingredients do you need for a classic Thai prawn cake?

For a classic Thai prawn cake, you will need fresh prawns, red curry paste, fish sauce, egg, breadcrumbs, and kaffir lime leaves.

Some recipes may also include shredded coconut, chopped green beans, or other ingredients.

How are Thai pork and prawn cakes different from the regular ones?

Thai pork and prawn cakes are different from regular prawn cakes in that they contain both prawns and minced pork.

The addition of pork adds a richer flavour and texture to the cakes. Other ingredients, such as garlic, coriander root, and soy sauce, may also be used in Thai pork and prawn cake recipes.