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Thai Shrimp Cakes Recipe

These shrimp cakes are flavoured with Thai red curry paste. Crunchy on the outside, bouncy on the inside, these are absolutely addictive and perfect for any dinner parties! See advance prep tips above.

Servings: 4 servings
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Thai

Ingredients

The Shrimp Cakes
  • 10.5 oz peeled & deveined shrimp see note 1
  • 1 egg
  • 3 tablespoon red curry paste
  • ¼ cup coconut milk
  • 3 makrut lime leaves centre rib removed and very thinly julienned
  • ½ cup long beans or green beans chopped into ¼" pieces. Or do a combination of long beans and corn
  • 1 teaspoon fish sauce see note 2
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1½ cups panko breadcrumbs
  • oil for frying I use canola oil
  • Fresh cucumber slices for serving
Sweet Chili Sauce (Store bought is fine too)
  • ¼ cup white vinegar
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • ¼ red bell pepper or another mild red pepper (in Thailand we use spur chilies)
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 Thai chili or to taste, optional
  • 2 tablespoon crushed roasted peanuts optional
  • 2 sprigs cilantro chopped, optional

Instructions

To make the shrimp cakes: 
    Cup of Yum
  1. Add the coconut milk to a sauté pan and bring to a boil. Add the curry paste and cook, stirring constantly, to reduce the liquid until it becomes a thick paste. Transfer to a small bowl and let it cool completely in the freezer while you grind the shrimp.
  2. Grind the shrimp and the egg in a food processor, scraping the sides once or twice, until very fine; it should look like a paste. Add the shrimp mixture to a large mixing bowl.
  3. To the shrimp, add the cooled curry paste, chopped long beans, corn (if using), makrut lime leaves, sugar, and fish sauce. Stir everything together until well mixed. Put this mixture in the fridge while you make the dipping sauce.
For the Sweet Chili Sauce
  1. Pound together the red pepper, Thai chilies and the garlic into a paste and transfer the mixture into a small pot. Add the sugar and vinegar to the pot and let simmer for 2-3 minutes to thicken. The mixture will also thicken as it cools. While the dipping sauce is cooling, shape and fry the shrimp cakes.
Shape and Fry the Shrimp Cakes
  1. To shape the shrimp cakes (this part will be easier to understand via the video tutorial!):  Scoop the shrimp cake mixture into about 1 tablespoon portions using a small disher or a tablespoon. Lay them out on a plate.
  2. Put the panko into a wide, shallow bowl. Wet your hands with some water, roll each shrimp cake portion into a ball, and drop the ball into the panko. You can also shape them into patties rather than balls so they cook faster. Continue rolling until there's no more room in the panko bowl. Spoon the panko over the shrimp cake to cover, and with dry, clean hands, grab each shrimp cake and gently press the panko onto the surface and set them on another plate.
  3. Fry the shrimp cakes: Add frying oil to a pot or wok until it's at least 1" deep. Heat the oil to 350 F. Drop the shrimp cake and fry for 2-3 minutes, they will puff up and may crack slightly, which is expected. Once they are golden brown, drain them on a paper towel-lined plate. They will continue to darken slightly after they've been removed from the oil.
  4. Right before serving, add the crushed peanuts and chopped cilantro to the dipping sauce and serve alongside the shrimp cake. Serve these with some fresh cucumber slices to add a touch of crunch and freshness!

Notes

  • Weigh the shrimp AFTER THAWING AND DRYING. Frozen shrimp are glazed in a layer of ice that will make them heavier than they actually are. Dry them very well after thawing with paper towel as excess water from thawing will cause the mixture to be too soft to form.
  • The amount of fish sauce you need will depend on how salty your curry paste is. For your first time making this recipe, I recommend adding just 1 teaspoon of fish sauce, and then cook a small amount of the mixture on a frying pan or in the microwave to taste.