Gado-Gado

Method

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1. Blanch each vegetable separately in boiling salted water and refresh in iced water: green beans 3 minutes, cabbage 2 minutes, beansprouts 30 seconds, spinach 30 seconds. Drain each very well.

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2. Fry the tofu and tempeh in hot oil until golden and crisp on all sides, about 4 minutes each. Drain and salt lightly.

   Mark done Start 4 min timer

3. For the sauce, blend the peanuts to a coarse meal.

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4. Blend the garlic, chillies and terasi to a paste and fry it in the oil for 5 minutes until fragrant and darkened.

   Mark done Start 5 min timer

5. Add the ground peanuts, palm sugar, tamarind, kecap manis and salt, then whisk in the hot water gradually.

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6. Simmer 8 minutes until thick but pourable — it should coat a spoon and drop off it easily.

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7. Taste and adjust: it wants to be savoury, sour and only mildly sweet.

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8. Arrange all the vegetables, tofu, tempeh, potato, cucumber and egg on a large platter in distinct groups.

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9. Pour the warm sauce generously over the top, scatter with crackers and fried shallots, and serve with lime.

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Chef’s Tips

• Blanch separately and refresh. Cooking everything in one pot gives a grey, uniform salad.
• The sauce should be pourable, not stiff. Loosen with hot water right before serving.
• It is meant to be eaten at room temperature with a warm sauce, not chilled.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• For a non-vegan version, double cream can generally stand in for the coconut milk; going the other way, a plant-based cream sold for cooking is the closer match to dairy than tinned coconut milk on its own.
• A pinch of dried chilli flakes works in place of fresh chilli — start with about a third of the quantity the red chillies in the list implies, since dried chilli is more concentrated, and add more to taste.
• Lemon is the everyday swap for lime in this kind of dish — the acidity plays the same role even though the flavour is not identical.

Pairing Suggestions

• Prawn crackers and lontong
• Iced tea or a cold beer
• Sambal on the side for heat

Storage & Reheating

Sauce keeps 1 week refrigerated. Prepare vegetables the same day and dress only when serving.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.