Thai Thung Thong Recipe

Thung thong is a traditional Thai dumpling filled with pork, shrimp and mushrooms. The other ingredients are various sauces and herbs for flavor. The filling is placed into a wrapper and folded, tied then deep fried. They are served as an appetizer.

Thung thong means money bags. The wrapper is a thin pastry such as wonton or spring roll wrappers. The filling is placed in the center of the wrapper and the remaining pastry is gathered up over the filling and tied shut, creating a little bag shape.

The tie must be edible and able to withstand frying, so typically a food like a green onion is used. They are blanched first to make them pliable.

Since the dumplings don’t have a very strong flavor on their own, they are eaten with a dipping sauce like sweet plum or sweet chili. Some fillings are made with more vegetables like carrots or prawns in place of shrimp.

Origin and Significance

Thung thong originated in Thailand and is believed to be part of the Thai royal cuisine. These are a group of foods specially curated for appearance and balance of flavor, served to royalties beginning around 1600, starting with the Ayutthaya Kingdom.

Thung thong was initially prepared for special celebrations such as weddings. Today, they are popular at restaurants and high-end parties. They are also popular at New Years when they are given as a gift to wish others good luck and fortune.

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Thai Thung Thong Recipe

Yield: 40 Servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Thung thong is a traditional Thai dumpling filled with pork, shrimp and mushrooms. The other ingredients are various sauces and herbs for flavor.

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Ingredients

• Prawns (minced) - 100 g
• Pork (minced) - 100 g
• Shitake Mushrooms (diced) - 1 tbsp
• Spring onions - 1 bunch
• Coriander Root - 1 tsp
• Garlic - 1 tsp
• Sugar - 1 tbsp
• Fish sauce - 1 tbsp
• Soy sauce - 2 tbsp
• Wonton Skins - 40 pieces
• Sweet Chili Sauce - to taste

Instructions

1. Boil some water to blanch the spring onions.
2. Add the spring onions.
3. Once softened, remove and dry any excess water.  
4. Cut or rip the spring onions in half and set aside.
5. Using a pestle and mortar, grind the garlic and coriander root together to create a smooth paste.
6. In a bowl, add the minced prawns, minced pork, shiitake mushrooms, sugar, coriander root/garlic paste, fish sauce and soy sauce.
7. Mix together until well combined.
8. Take 1 sheet of wonton or spring roll pastry and add a teaspoon of the prepared mixture.
9. Gather the pastry up, over the filling enclosing it completely.  
10. Use the blanched spring onion to tie the small bag.
11. Repeat this process to make as many thung thong as you would
    like.
12. Heat some oil and use a spare spring onion leaf to test the
    heat.
13. Deep fry until golden brown and cooked through.
14. Remove them from the oil and set aside to drain.
15. Transfer to a serving plate and enjoy with a sweet chilli dipping sauce.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 40 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 52Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 16mgSodium: 227mgCarbohydrates: 6gFiber: 0gSugar: 1gProtein: 4g

Nutrition is provided and calculated by Nutritionix. It is for general information purposes and is only a rough estimation.