Thai tastiness

I love Thai food.  These little 'cakes' (mini patties, really) convey all the flavours of the South-East that we love, in a quick, easy and versatile bite.  They make for a tasty midweek meal or a fantastic tapas option - I'm thinking perfect for watching the All Blacks take on the Lions tomorrow night!?  

350g pork mince (or chicken or turkey)

1.5 tsp Thai green curry paste

2 makrut leaves*, central stem removed and thinly sliced

1 tsp fish sauce

2 tsp sweet chili sauce

1 egg

1/2 cup panko crumbs

2 spring onions, white and green part thinly sliced

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp finely grated ginger (I use a microplane)

1 clove grated/minced garlic

juice of 1 lime/lemon

2 tsp soy sauce

1.5 tbsp sweet chili sauce

1 tbsp sesame oil

1/2 tsp fish sauce

1. Mix together all first batch of ingredients and set aside until ready to form into little patties and fry (I made the mixture earlier in the day and kept it in the fridge). 
2. Mix together second lot of ingredients, for the dressing.  Keep in fridge until you're ready for it. 
3. Melt butter in large frypan and cook patties until browned on both sides.  
4. Serve with dressing as a dipping sauce (tapas style!) or with coconut rice, winter slaw and toasted sesame/pinenuts, drizzled with the dressing (awesome meal!!).  

Makes enough for 4, as a meal with rice etc.  For the coconut rice I cooked 1 cup of rice in 1 cup coconut milk and 1/2 cup water.  Once boiling turn down to low and cover with lid.  After 20 minutes turn off and keep covered until ready to serve (can sit there steaming away for a good half hour).  

For the slaw we finely chopped coriander, bok choy and a carrot, then stirred through a couple of tablespoons of the dressing.  Yum!!  

NB: * makrut leaves = kaffir leaves.  Makrut (pronounced mah-krut) is the Thai word used to describe the bumpy-skinned lime otherwise referred to in many Western countries as the kaffir lime.  Given that word's place in many countries' vernaculars as a racial slur, there is a push to use the Thai name instead.  Given this lime's leaves are often seen in Thai cuisine, this makes complete sense to me.  So, same leave, different name.