Gado Gado Indonesian Peanut Salad (Printable Version)
Indonesian salad featuring crisp veggies, tofu, tempeh, eggs, and a silky peanut sauce for a vibrant meal.
# Ingredients:
→ Peanut Sauce
01 -
2 fresh Thai or bird’s eye chilies, stems trimmed and halved
02 -
3 cloves garlic, peeled
03 -
225 grams roasted unsalted peanuts
04 -
2 tablespoons kecap manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce)
05 -
1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar
06 -
1 teaspoon fish sauce
07 -
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
08 -
1 teaspoon kosher salt
09 -
180 millilitres water, plus more as needed
→ Vegetables and Garnishes
10 -
4 large eggs
11 -
1/4 medium green cabbage (about 285 grams), cored and sliced into 1.25 cm shreds
12 -
115 grams green beans, trimmed
13 -
1 medium chayote (about 225 grams), cut into 1.25 cm chunks
14 -
225 grams bean sprouts
15 -
450 grams bunched spinach (not baby)
16 -
225 grams firm tofu, drained and cut into 2.5 cm cubes
17 -
225 grams tempeh, cut into 2.5 cm long triangles approximately 0.5 cm thick
18 -
2 tablespoons neutral oil, divided
19 -
2 medium roma tomatoes, each cut into 8 wedges
20 -
3 Persian cucumbers, sliced into 1.25 cm thick rounds
21 -
1 medium lime, cut into wedges
22 -
Fried shrimp chips, prepared according to package directions, for serving
23 -
Fried shallots, for garnish
# Steps:
01 -
In a food processor, combine chilies and garlic and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add roasted peanuts and process until finely ground. Add kecap manis, dark brown sugar, fish sauce, rice vinegar, and kosher salt; pulse until incorporated. Pour in half of the water and blend, then add remaining water and blend again until a pourable but slightly thick consistency is achieved. If too thick, add water one tablespoon at a time as needed. Transfer to a bowl; reserve.
02 -
Place eggs in a large saucepan and cover with cold water, filling the pan to three-quarters full. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from heat, cover, and let sit for 10 minutes. Transfer eggs to an ice bath to cool, then peel and halve lengthwise.
03 -
Bring the water in the saucepan back to a boil. Blanch vegetables individually: cook cabbage until tender, about 2 minutes; green beans until crisp-tender, 1 to 2 minutes; bean sprouts until just tender, 1 minute; chayote until fork-tender, 4 to 5 minutes; spinach until wilted and tender, about 2 minutes. After blanching, transfer each vegetable to a paper towel-lined tray.
04 -
Heat 1 tablespoon neutral oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook tempeh triangles until golden and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove and set aside. Add remaining oil; cook tofu cubes until golden on at least 2 sides, about 4 to 5 minutes total. Set aside with tempeh.
05 -
Slice roma tomatoes into wedges. Cut cucumbers into rounds. Cut lime into wedges for serving.
06 -
Arrange all prepared vegetables, eggs, tempeh, and tofu on a platter or in a large shallow bowl. Drizzle with about 60 millilitres of peanut sauce. Garnish with fried shallots. Serve with lime wedges, fried shrimp chips, and remaining peanut sauce on the side.
# Notes:
01 -
Peanut sauce and prepared vegetables can be made up to one day in advance and refrigerated separately in airtight containers.
02 -
For best texture, fry tempeh and tofu immediately before serving.
03 -
Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to five days.