Vegan Okara Thai Fish Cakes (Tod Mun)

Thai fish cakes (tod mun) are super tasty but can be tricky to veganise without access to mock fish alternatives. Being on an island, I decided to try to make vegan Thai fish cakes out of okara, and it worked really great! There are a couple of steps involved, but totally worth the effort. The green chilli and long beans add a nice bite to the fish cakes, the red curry paste adds a huge taste level up, and the seaweed adds the briny fishy taste. Pair these vegan Thai fish cakes with an easy homemade sweet chilli dipping sauce (nam jim tod mun) and you've got yourself an excellent party dish or appetiser. This recipe makes 5 vegan fish cakes.

• Difficulty: Medium
• Category: Gluten-Free, Sides
• Cuisine: Thai
• Cooking Method: Frying, Steam

Ingredients

• 1 shallot
• 1 green chilli
• 0.5 long bean
• 1 kaffir lime leaf
• 3 tbsp finely diced tofu
• 0.5 tbsp finely diced seaweed

Base

• 0.25 cup rice flour
• 0.5 cup okara
• 30 ml milk
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1.5 tbsp soy sauce (or g/f option)
• 2 tbsp red curry paste
• 0.5 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp radish or seaweed seasoning

For dipping sauce (nam jim tod mun)

• 1 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp vegan fish sauce or soy sauce (or g/f option)
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 garlic clove (finely minced)
• 1 green chilli
• 1 red birds eye chilli
• 1 tbsp finely diced cucumber
• 0.5 tbsp peanuts (roughly crushed )

Instructions

1. Thinly slice the shallots, green chilli and half the long bean.
2. Heat 0.5 tbsp of oil over medium heat in a non-stick pan, and fry the shallots, chilli and long bean until cooked. Set aside for later.
3. Mix all the ingredients for the base.
4. Add the tofu and the shallots, chilli, and long bean.
5. Mix well.
6. Pick up one heaped tablespoon of the mixture and form into a patty.
7. Steam the patties over medium heat for about ten minutes until firm and darkened. Remove from heat and leave to rest about 15 minutes.
8. Heat 1 tbsp of oil over medium heat in a non-stick pan, and fry the patties until golden brown on both sides.
9. Serve hot with fish cake dipping sauce (nam jim tod mun).

Dipping Sauce

10. Mix 1 tbsp of water, 1 tbsp vinegar, 1 tbsp vegan fish sauce or soy sauce, 1 tbsp of sugar, 1 tbsp of finely diced cucumber, 1 minced garlic, 1 green chilli, 1 red birds eye chilli and 0.5 tbsp of crushed peanuts.