Gado-gado
Ingredients
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- 4 large eggs
- 1 pounds potatoes – peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks (~3 medium potatos)
- 2 carrots – thinly sliced
- 8 ounces green beans – trimmed
- 8 ounces cabbage – shredded (~0.5 medium cabbages)
- 4 cups spinach
- 2 cups bean sprouts
- 1 cucumber – thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup neutral oil – for frying tofu and tempeh
- 14 ounces firm tofu – pressed and cut into 1-inch pieces (~1 n/a firm tofu)
- 8 ounces tempeh – sliced into 0.5-inch strips (~1 n/a tempeh)
- 1 1/2 cups roasted unsalted peanuts
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 red chiles – stemmed
- 2 tablespoons palm sugar – finely grated
- 1 tablespoon tamarind paste
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cups water
- 2 tablespoons kecap manis
- 1 lime – juiced
- lime – wedges (for serving)
Instructions
1. Place the large eggs in a saucepan, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a gentle simmer and cook 9–10 minutes until yolks are set. Cool under cold water, peel, and halve.
2. In a separate pot, boil the potatoes in lightly salted water until tender when pierced, 12–15 minutes. Drain, cool slightly, and cut into 1-inch chunks if not already.
3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch the carrots and green beans until crisp-tender, 2–3 minutes; transfer to an ice bath to stop cooking.
4. In the same pot, blanch the cabbage and spinach just until wilted, 30–60 seconds, then the bean sprouts for 30 seconds; shock each in the ice bath. Drain all blanched vegetables well and pat dry.
5. Slice the cucumber thinly and set aside.
6. Heat the neutral oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the firm tofu, turning occasionally, until golden on most sides, 6–8 minutes; drain on paper towels. Fry the tempeh until golden, 3–4 minutes per side; drain.
7. For the peanut sauce, grind the roasted unsalted peanuts, garlic, red chiles, palm sugar, tamarind paste, and salt in a mortar and pestle or blender until a coarse paste forms.
8. Scrape the paste into a small saucepan, stir in the measured water to make a thick but pourable sauce, and simmer over medium-low, stirring, 5–8 minutes until glossy and thick enough to coat a spoon. Stir in the kecap manis and the lime juice; adjust salt to taste and keep warm.
9. Arrange the potatoes, carrots, green beans, cabbage, spinach, bean sprouts, cucumber, tofu, and tempeh on a large platter. Add the halved eggs on top.
10. Spoon the warm peanut sauce generously over the platter just before serving. Serve with lime wedges.
Gado-Gado is a beloved Indonesian composed salad of blanched and fresh vegetables, fried tofu and tempeh, and hard-boiled eggs, all coated with a rich, aromatic peanut sauce. The flavors balance sweet, salty, spicy, and tangy notes, while the textures range from crisp vegetables to tender potatoes and creamy eggs. It is typically served at room temperature and is satisfying enough to be a meal on its own.
Originating on the island of Java, Gado-Gado has spread across Indonesia and into neighboring countries, with countless local variations. Street vendors and home cooks alike prepare it, often pairing it with rice cakes (lontong or ketupat) and crunchy crackers. The peanut sauce shares lineage with satay sauces, but Gado-Gado’s version is tailored to dress a medley of vegetables and proteins, making it an emblematic showcase of Indonesia’s pantry and produce.