Gado Gado is one of Indonesia’s national dishes, literally translated as “mix mix.” The healthy and versatile salad can be made with a blend of any vegetables and the delicious peanut dressing brings it all together as a new family favourite for #meatlessmondays.
Bursting with fresh Indonesian flavours, Gado Gado is actually more of a healthy meal than a salad. Often served warm, this dish is a scrumptious alternative to your traditional salad. You can leave out the eggs and this becomes a great option for vegetarians, vegans and flexitarians as it doesn’t contain meat or dairy.
Essentially the dish is made up of blanched or raw vegetables, hard-boiled eggs, fried tofu and tempeh mixed together in a peanut dressing. In Indonesia the recipe varies by region but what is really nice about this dish is you can make it your own by using your favorite vegetables and playing with the ingredients according to your tastes. What’s even better is that it only takes around 20 minutes to prepare and serve!
Feeds 3-4
For the Salad;
50 grams Spinach
50 grams Cassava leaves (curly kale as a substitute)
50 grams White cabbage
50 grams Long beans (green beans as a substitute)
50 grams Carrots
20 grams Tofu
20 grams Tempeh
3 Eggs (hard boiled)
For the Peanut sauce dressing;
100 grams roasted peanuts, finely ground
1 birds eye chili
50 ml fresh lime juice (or tamarind juice if available)
3 tbsps of palm sugar (to taste)
2 tbsps sweet soy sauce
2 Lime leaves
1 tsp salt
1 tsp White Turmeric
Optional:
Fresh salad of lettuce, cucumber, tomato and prawn crackers to serve with.
1. Cut the beans into bite size pieces and shred the rest of vegetables – the chunkier
the better.
2. Quickly blanch all the vegetables in boiling water (30 seconds) then put into ice
water (30 seconds) and drain straight away.
3. Meanwhile cut the tofu and tempeh into two-centimeter cubes, season with salt and
pepper and deep fry until golden brown.
4. In a mortar, use your pestle to smash the salt, kencur (white turmeric), chili and lime
leaves until smooth.
5. Add palm sugar, peanuts and lime/tamarind juice, and grind until it becomes a thick
paste.
6. In a mixing bowl toss the peanut sauce with the vegetables, the tofu and the
tempeh.
7. Mix-mix!!
8. Serve accompanied by a fresh salad and some prawn crackers.
Don’t be afraid to be inventive with your Gado Gado salad by trying combinations with your
favourite vegetables, broccoli and pumpkin are our picks. If you eat seafood - why not serve
with some grilled fish or squid. This recipe is a creative cooks dream.
Try it at home and share your photos with us or even better why not book a trip to Bawah
Reserve and let our chefs spoil you!