Gado-Gado

About This Recipe

Gado-Gado is one of Indonesia's most beloved dishes and a masterpiece of balanced flavour — its name derived from the Javanese slang for 'mix-mix'. It is essentially a composed salad of par-cooked and raw vegetables, sliced boiled egg, fried tofu and tempeh, all generously dressed in a thick, golden peanut sauce fragrant with galangal, lemongrass, kaffir lime and a hint of palm sugar. The peanut sauce — bumbu kacang — is the heart of the dish and varies from vendor to vendor; some prefer it creamy and mild, others add chilli heat or tamarind tartness. Gado-gado is found across Indonesia in different regional variations and is traditionally served on a banana leaf with krupuk (prawn crackers) for crunch. It is naturally gluten-free, high in plant protein and wholly satisfying.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 200 ggreen beans(trimmed)
• 200 gcabbage(cut into wedges)
• 200 gbean sprouts
• 2 mediumpotatoes(boiled and sliced)
• 200 gfirm tofu(fried until golden)
• 4eggs(hard-boiled and halved)
• 1 mediumcucumber(sliced)
• 200 gcrunchy peanut butter(or freshly ground roasted peanuts)
• 200 mlcoconut milk
• 2 tablespoonskecap manis (sweet soy sauce)
• 1 tablespoontamarind paste
• 2 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 2red chillies(or 1 teaspoon sambal oelek)
• 1 teaspoonpalm sugar or brown sugar

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the peanut sauce

   Blend or pound the garlic and chillies into a paste. Combine with the peanut butter, coconut milk, kecap manis, tamarind paste and palm sugar in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring, for 5–7 minutes until the sauce thickens and the oil separates slightly at the edges. Thin with water if needed to a pourable but thick consistency. Taste and adjust balance of sweet, sour and salty.

   The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon — if too thick, add a splash of warm water.

2. 2

   Blanch the vegetables

   Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch the green beans for 3 minutes, then remove and refresh in ice water. Blanch the cabbage for 2 minutes, then refresh. Blanch the bean sprouts for just 30 seconds, then refresh. All vegetables should retain a vibrant colour and slight crunch.

3. 3

   Fry the tofu

   Pat the tofu dry and cut into cubes. Fry in 2cm of hot oil, turning, until golden and crisp on all sides, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

4. 4

   Arrange and dress

   Arrange the blanched vegetables, sliced potato, fried tofu, cucumber and halved eggs on a large platter. Drizzle the warm peanut sauce generously over everything. Top with crispy fried shallots and prawn crackers.

5. 5

   Serve

   Serve the remaining peanut sauce in a bowl alongside for dipping. Encourage diners to mix everything together or eat composed, dipping each component.

Variations

• •

  Ketoprak is a similar Jakarta dish that uses rice noodles and rice cakes in place of potato.

• •

  For extra heat, add more sambal or raw sliced bird's eye chillies to the sauce.

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

• •

  Spicier: add a finely chopped fresh chile or a teaspoon of crushed Aleppo/Urfa pepper to the aromatics for warm, layered heat instead of a single sharp hit.

Storage

Store the peanut sauce separately in the fridge for up to 4 days. Assembled salad is best eaten immediately.

Frequently Asked Questions