An Appetizer
Tod Mun - Tod Mun 
For kids, omit the curry paste. My grandmother made Tod Mun without the curry paste for us when we were kids. She added ground white pepper instead.
3 Servings
| 1/2 | cup | vegetable oil | |
| 1 | tablespoon | sugar | |
| 1/2 | tablespoon | salt | |
| 3 | kaffir lime leaves | ||
| 1/4 | lb | green beans | |
| 3/4 | lb | fish paste | |
| 1 | egg | ||
| 1 | tablespoon | red curry paste |
Tips and substitutions
If you can't find kaffir lime leaves, omit them. Dry ones won't do the trick.
If the mixture is not well mixed, Tod Mun will not be chewy when cooked. It will tend to break easily. Inconsistent results can also come from the wrong type of fish or how fresh the fish is.
If you can't find kaffir lime leaves, omit them. Dry ones won't do the trick.
If the mixture is not well mixed, Tod Mun will not be chewy when cooked. It will tend to break easily. Inconsistent results can also come from the wrong type of fish or how fresh the fish is.
Mix all the ingredients, except for the kaffir lime leaves and green beans, in a bowl. Stir until the mixture becomes a paste with smooth and shiny consistency again. For some fish pastes, it takes 3 minutes to get the smooth texture. For other fish pastes, you may want to use a mixer on low power because you'll be churning it for 1/2 hour by hand. There's no way I've found to make sure that the fish paste is good before working with it. Then, add kaffir lime leaves and green beans and stir again to mix them in.
In a flat bottom pan, heat up the oil on medium heat. Test the temperature by dropping a smaller piece of fish paste mixture in. When the oil is ready, the mixture should puff around the edge. Once the oil is hot enough, drop a tablespoonful in the pan. When the down side has cooked, use a spatula to loosen the tod mun, then flip the uncooked side down and push it down with the spatula to make it flat like a pancake. Flip again to get both sides brown. Drain or pat with paper towels to remove the oil. Serve hot with the sauce below.
Learn more about this and other similarly prepared Pan Fry or Deep Fry Dishes (Tod) recipes
Tod Mun Sauce - Nam Jim Tod Mun
Tod Mun is a great dish for kids because it is protein packed. You can make a big batch and freeze them. The kids' sauce can be made without chili paste.
4 Servings
| 5 | tablespoons | vinegar | |
| 5 | tablespoons | sugar | |
| 1/2 | teaspoon | ground fresh chili paste | |
| 1/2 | cucumber, quartered and thinly sliced | ||
| 1-2 | tablespoons | peanuts |
Tips and substitutions
As always with Thai food. Add a little more of red pepper sauce if you like it hot. Or add a little more of the sugar if you like it sweet. Tasting is the key.
In Thailand, many people avoid peanuts because of its link to cancer. So, in our household we substitute other nuts like almonds for peanuts.
As always with Thai food. Add a little more of red pepper sauce if you like it hot. Or add a little more of the sugar if you like it sweet. Tasting is the key.
In Thailand, many people avoid peanuts because of its link to cancer. So, in our household we substitute other nuts like almonds for peanuts.
Combine vinegar, sugar and red pepper sauce together in a small bowl. Heat the mixture in microwave until all ingredients mix well, approximately 1 min. Add the sliced cucumber and mix well. Toast peanuts in a pan. Then crush peanuts into small pieces. Top it on the sauce. Refrigerate the sauce until Tod Mun is ready.
Learn more about this and other similarly prepared Category Defying Recipes (Other) recipes
