Thai Shrimp Cakes are brought to us from Kaohsiung City in Taiwan. If you like crab cakes then you will love this recipe for Thai Shrimp Cakes. The sweet, salty taste of shrimp really shines through when seasoned with the classic Thai trifecta of flavor: ginger, lime juice, and chili sauce.
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Ways to Make Shrimp Cakes
There are a lot of variations to this dish and every cuisine has its version of shrimp cakes. Asian-style shrimp cakes usually contain shrimp with salt, water, flour, and egg. They can include a combination of fish paste and surimi. European-style shrimp cakes are similar to a croquette, consisting of shrimp or other seafood with a potato patty, sometimes coated in breadcrumbs or batter.
How to Store Thai Shrimp Cakes
Store your leftover shrimp cakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator and use them within 3 days. Shrimp cakes should always be completely cool before freezing. Simply store them in an airtight, freezer-safe container. You’ll need to place a piece of parchment between each one, to stop them from sticking together. Freeze for up to 2 months.
History of Shrimp Cakes
It is hard to determine who or were the first people to make shrimp cakes but the Chinese were the first to record the use of fish cakes about 4000 years ago. The emperor Shun traveled to Southern China with his two wives. After a long period of travel, his consorts were tired and had poor appetites. This caused Shun to worry, and he searched for ways to resolve the problem.
A fisher called Bo came and gave Shun his fish cakes. Shun’s consorts really enjoyed them, and their appetites returned to normal. Shun was so pleased that he asked the fisher Bo to teach other people how to make fish cakes, so everyone can enjoy food even when they have poor appetites. Fish cakes then became popular in China.
The Metropolitan City of Kaohsiung City, Taiwan
Kaohsiung is a massive port city in southern Taiwan. It’s home to many skyscrapers, such as the 248-meter tall Tuntex Sky Tower, and is known for its diversity of parks. Its focal point is the Love River, with walking paths and cafes along its banks, and cruise boats navigating its waters. Shopping options range from high-end malls to the Liuhe and Ruifeng night markets.
A Brief History of Kaohsiung City, Taiwan
The earliest evidence of human activity in the Kaohsiung area dates back to roughly 4,700–5,200 years ago. The prehistoric Dapenkeng, Niuchouzi, Dahu, and Niaosong civilizations were known to inhabit the region.
Taiwan became a Dutch colony in 1624 after the Dutch East India Company was ejected from Penghu by Ming forces. At the time, Takau was already one of the most important fishing ports in southern Taiwan. The Dutch named the place Tankoya, and the harbor Tancoia.
In 1895, Taiwan was ceded to Japan as part of the Treaty of Shimonoseki. Administrative control of the city was moved from New Fongshan Castle to the Fongshan Sub-District of Tainan Chō (臺南廳). In November 1901, twenty chō were established in total; Hōzan Chō (鳳山廳) was established nearby. In 1909, Hōzan Chō was abolished, and Takow was merged into Tainan Chō.
After control of Taiwan was handed over from Japan to the government of the Republic of China on 25 October 1945, Kaohsiung City and Kaohsiung County were established as a provincial cities and a county of Taiwan Province respectively on 25 December 1945.
Tourism in Kaohsiung City
Main landmarks of Kaohsiung city include the 85 Sky Tower, the Ferris wheel of the Kaohsiung Dream Mall, the Kaohsiung Arena, and Port of Kaohsiung. The newly developed city is also known for having a large number of shopping streets, organized night markets, and newly developed leisure parks such as the Pier-2 Art Center, E-DA Theme Park, Metropolitan Park, the Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts, and Taroko Park.
Natural attractions of the city include Shoushan (Monkey Mountain), the Love River, Cijin Island, Sizihwan, the Dapingding Tropical Botanical Garden, and Yushan National Park at the northeastern tip of the city. The city also features various historical attractions such as the Old City of Zuoying, a historical town built during the early 17th century, the Former British Consulate at Takao built during the late 19th century, and various sugar and crop factories built under Japanese rule.
Taiwanese Cuisine
Taiwanese cuisine is based on the cuisine of Taiwanese indigenous peoples and over hundreds of years and has been influenced by Hakka, Waishengren, and Japanese cuisine. Pork, seafood, chicken, rice, and soy are common ingredients. Traditionally, rice formed the basis of most Taiwanese diets.
In many of their dishes, the Taiwanese have shown their creativity in their selection of spices. Taiwanese cuisine relies on an abundant array of seasonings for flavor: soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil, fermented black beans, pickled radish, pickled mustard greens, peanuts, chili peppers, cilantro, and a local variety of basil.
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How to Make This Thai Shrimp Cakes Recipe
This recipe is quick and easy to make but be careful not to get your oil too hot or your shrimp cakes will burn before they are cooked. The most difficult part of this recipe is finding some of the ingredients.
What You Will Need to Make Thai Shrimp Cakes
Layout all of your ingredients and equipment before beginning because when the cooking starts you do not have time to find stuff.
Equipment Needed
- 1 Knife
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Mixing Bowl
- 1 Cooking Pot
- Paper Towles, for absorbing excess oil
For the Sweet Cilantro Sauce:
- ¼ cup Thai sweet chili sauce
- 1 tsp ginger minced
- 2 tsp coriander or cilantro leaves chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
For the Shrimp Cakes:
- 8 oz raw shrimp peeled, deveined, and roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp red curry paste
- 1 large egg
- 2 tsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp coconut milk
- 2 tbsp basil leaves roughly chopped
- 2 cups bread crumbs
- oil for frying
Time needed: 20 minutes.
How to Cook Thai Shrimp Cakes
- Mix the Sweet Cilantro Sauce
Prepare the Sweet Cilantro Sauce by whisking all the ingredients together in a small bowl and then set aside.
- Blend the Shrimp Mix
Combine the chilled shrimp, red curry paste, egg, fish sauce, sugar, and coconut milk in a food processor or blender. Process until smooth, about 30 seconds. Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and mix in the basil. Refrigerate it for at least 10 minutes.
- Make the Patties
Form the shrimp mixture into patties about 3 ½ inches in diameter. Roll each patty in the bread crumbs until coated.
- Heat the Oil
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. When hot pour in the oil and bring it to 325°F.
oil - Cook the Patties
Gently lower the shrimp cakes into the hot oil. They will puff up quite considerably in the oil, so make sure you don’t overcrowd your frying vessel. Cook the cakes until they are golden brown on each side and cooked through, about 2 minutes per side.
- Serve the Thai Shrimp Cakes
Serve with a side bowl of the Sweet Chili Sauce.
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Thai Shrimp Cake
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Equipment
- 1 Knife
Ingredients
For the Sweet Cilantro Sauce:
- ¼ cup Thai sweet chili sauce
- 1 tsp ginger root minced
- 2 tsp dried cilantro chopped
- 1 tbsp lime juice
For the Shrimp Cakes:
- 8 oz shrimp peeled, deveined, and roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp red curry paste
- 1 large egg
- 2 tsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp white sugar
- 2 tbsp coconut milk
- 2 tbsp basil roughly chopped
- 2 cups bread crumbs
- vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
For the Sweet Cilantro Sauce:
- Prepare the Sweet Cilantro Sauce by whisking all the ingredients together in a small bowl and then set aside.¼ cup Thai sweet chili sauce, 1 tsp ginger root, 2 tsp dried cilantro, 1 tbsp lime juice
For the Shrimp Cakes:
- Combine the chilled shrimp, red curry paste, egg, fish sauce, sugar, and coconut milk in a food processor or blender. Process until smooth, about 30 seconds. Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and mix in the basil. Refrigerate it for at least 10 minutes.8 oz shrimp, 2 tbsp red curry paste, 1 large egg, 2 tsp fish sauce, 1 tbsp white sugar, 2 tbsp coconut milk, 2 tbsp basil
- Form the shrimp mixture into patties about 3 ½ inches in diameter. Roll each patty in the bread crumbs untill coated.2 cups bread crumbs
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. When hot pour in the oil and bring it to 325°F.vegetable oil
- Gently lower the shrimp cakes into the hot oil. They will puff up quite considerably in the oil, so make sure you don't overcrowd your frying vessel.
- Cook the cakes until they are golden brown on each side and cooked through, about 2 minutes per side.
- Serve with a side bowl of the Sweet Chili Sauce.
Nutrition
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Photo Credits:
- By Taste The World Cookbook – Copyright 2022 All rights reserved.
- By Thomas Chien Restaurant – By https://www.facebook.com/thomaschien2012
- By 毛貓大少爺 – https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/49578924873/, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=98646580
- By Taiwan Junior – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=98646717
- By Linguixperiments – Author’s collection, CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=98646849
- By Peellden – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5976356
- By Kaoshiung panorama.jpg: Rubendenederivative work: ויקיג’אנקי – This file was derived from: Kaoshiung panorama.jpg:, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=30897233
