thai prawn cakes

750g green prawn meat, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tbs finely chopped fresh ginger
1 large lemongrass stem (pale part only), very finely chopped
1 large spring onion, finely chopped
1 small red chilli, seeds removed, finely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped coriander, plus extra leaves to garnish
1/2 kaffir lime leaf, very finely chopped
1/4 cup finely shredded Thai basil
3tsp caster sugar
1tbs sweet chilli sauce, plus extra to serve
2tbs fish sauce
1tsp red curry paste (or your favourite Thai curry paste)
2tbs coconut cream
3 eggwhites
light olive oil, to shallow fry
lime wedges and betel leaves to serve

Thoroughly mix the prawns, garlifc, ginger, lemongrass, spring onion, chilli, coriander, lime leaf, sugar, basil, sauces, curry paste, coconut cream and eggwhite together in a bowl. Don't worry if mixture is wet as long as it holds together.

Heat 5mm oil in a large frypan over low heat. In batches, drop a heaped desertspoonful of mixture into the pan for each cake, flattening slightly with the back of the spoon so they're about 1cm thick. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side or until golden and cooked through. Keep an eye on the oil and make sure it doesn't get too hot, the coconut cream tends to make the cakes brown quickly.

As the cakes are ready, trasnfer them to paper towel to drain. Keep warm. When all the cakes are done, place them on a platter, either on betel leaves, or garnished with an extra coriander leaf on top. Serve with lime wedges and sweet chilli sauce.

Makes about 30