Tod Man Goong (Thai Shrimp-Cakes)

This recipe also came from Wandee Young, from her Cookbook "Simply Thai Cooking"; there are many good or interesting recipes within. To complement this dish, we served it with Thai Cucumber Salad, you can drizzle some over the shrimp-cake before you take a bite. These are quite good, and different from crab cakes, in that they have chunky vegetables within, in this case the Chinese long green bean. These are perfect as an appetizer or as a side-dish to a meal. This is similar to Tod Man Pla, made with minced fish.

Tod Man Goong
adapted from Simply Thai Cooking, 2nd Ed.
40 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 Tbsp red curry paste
1 egg yolk
6 Chinese long green beans, trimmed and finely chopped
3 lime leaves, cut very fine
1 cup vegetable oil

Place the shrimp in a food processor and process until a fine pulp. Add the red curry paste; blend well. Stir-in the egg yolk. Stir in the Chinese long green beans and the lime leaves and mix everything together well.

Heat oil in a wok or heavy-bottomed frying pan on high heat till almost smoking. Turn down to medium heat, then add a tablespoon of shrimp-cake mixture that has been flattened. Add more, but do not crowd the wok or pan. Fry for 2 minutes on one side, then flip over and fry for 2 minutes on the other side. Flip over again and fry for 30-40 seconds, until both sides are golden brown. Remove from oil and place on plate covered with paper towels (to soak up the oil). Repeat with the remaining shrimp-cake mixture as needed.