Gado Gado Recipe

Gado Gado is a popular Indonesian salad featuring a variety of vegetables, hard-boiled eggs, tofu, and tempeh, all drizzled with a rich peanut sauce. It's a delightful blend of textures and flavors. Here’s how you can make it at home:

Ingredients:

For the Salad:

1. Potatoes: 2 medium, boiled and sliced.
2. Green Beans: 1 cup, blanched.
3. Bean Sprouts: 1 cup, blanched.
4. Cucumber: 1 medium, sliced.
5. Carrot: 1 large, thinly sliced or grated.
6. Cabbage: 2 cups, shredded and blanched.
7. Firm Tofu: 1 block, fried or grilled and cut into cubes.
8. Tempeh: 1 block, fried or grilled and cut into cubes.
9. Hard-Boiled Eggs: 4, peeled and halved.
10. Lontong or Rice Cakes: Optional.

For the Peanut Sauce:

1. Peanuts: 1 cup, roasted and unsalted.
2. Garlic: 2 cloves.
3. Chilies: To taste, optional.
4. Palm Sugar or Brown Sugar: 2 tablespoons.
5. Tamarind Paste: 1 tablespoon.
6. Lime Juice: From 1 lime.
7. Water: As needed for consistency.
8. Salt: To taste.

Garnish:

1. Fried Shallots: Optional.
2. Krupuk (Prawn Crackers): Optional.
3. Lime Wedges: For serving.

Instructions:

1. Prepare the Vegetables and Protein:

   • Boil, blanch, or steam the vegetables as appropriate. Fry or grill the tofu and tempeh until golden brown.

2. Make the Peanut Sauce:

   • Blend the peanuts, garlic, chilies (if using), sugar, tamarind paste, lime juice, and a bit of water in a food processor or blender until smooth. The sauce should be thick but pourable. Adjust the consistency with water and season with salt.

3. Assemble the Salad:

   • On a large platter, arrange the potatoes, green beans, bean sprouts, cucumber, carrot, cabbage, tofu, tempeh, and hard-boiled eggs. You can also include lontong or rice cakes if using.

4. Drizzle with Peanut Sauce:

   • Generously drizzle the peanut sauce over the salad. The dish should be well coated with the sauce.

5. Garnish and Serve:

   • Sprinkle with fried shallots and serve with krupuk (prawn crackers) and lime wedges on the side.

Tips:

• The beauty of Gado Gado is its versatility. Feel free to use any vegetables you like or have on hand.
• For an authentic touch, use a mortar and pestle to grind the peanuts and make the sauce.
• The peanut sauce can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator for a few days.

Enjoy your homemade Gado Gado, a flavorful and healthy Indonesian salad!