A market-day classic from Thailand's river country — springy, herb-flecked, fried to deep bronze.
$14
Where it comes from
Tod mun pla comes from the Central Plains, where rivers and canals once gave every town more fish than it could eat. Cooks pounded the catch with red curry paste, slivered kaffir lime leaf and snappy green beans, then fried spoonfuls until the edges blistered. That springy bounce is the prized mark of a patient cook. The cool cucumber-peanut relish, ajat, is its lifelong partner: one bite hot, one bite cold.
Not sure how to judge a plate like this? Read our field guide to the best Thai food in Orange County — five signs of a real Thai kitchen, and what to order once you’re in one.
