Tod man pla is made by deep-frying small cakes of minced fish meat mixed with red curry paste, finely chopped yard-long beans and finely shredded kaffir lime leaves (bai makrut). A similar dish using prawn meat instead of fish is called tod man goong.
The fried fish cakes are served with a sweet chili dip of diced cucumber and crushed peanuts. Tod man pla is often selected as an appetizer for a meal or eaten alone as a snack