Thai cuisine · Dough, Pasta & Rice

Kanom Pang Na Goong

Toast slices spread with savory shrimp paste, deep-fried golden brown and served with sweet-sour cucumber relish.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 8 slices sandwich bread
• 400 g shrimp (peeled)
• 1/2 bunch cilantro (with roots)
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp white pepper
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 cucumber
• 3 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 400 ml neutral oil (rapeseed or sunflower oil)

Instructions

1. Let the toast slices sit uncovered for 20 min. so they dry slightly, then cut off the crusts and halve the slices diagonally.
2. For the relish, halve the cucumber lengthwise, remove the seeds and cut into thin half-moons; bring rice vinegar, sugar and 3 tbsp water to a boil, pour over the cucumber and chill.
3. Process shrimp, cilantro roots, garlic, the egg, cornstarch, white pepper and fish sauce in a blender into a spreadable but still slightly chunky paste.
4. Spread the paste about 5 mm thick onto the bread halves, covering the edges well, and press the spread side into sesame seeds.
5. Heat the oil to 170 °C and fry the slices in batches, shrimp-side down, for 2 min., then turn and fry for another 1 min. until everything is golden brown.
6. Drain briefly on paper towels and serve hot with the cold cucumber relish and chopped cilantro leaves.