Gado-Gado Recipe

Ingredients

• 200g long beans, cut into 3-4 cm pieces
• 200g cabbage, thinly sliced
• 150g spinach
• 100g bean sprouts
• 2 medium potatoes, boiled and sliced
• 200g firm tofu, fried or steamed and diced
• 200g tempeh, fried or steamed and diced
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
• 100g rice cakes (lontong or ketupat), sliced (optional)
• Crispy crackers (emping or krupuk) for garnish

For the Peanut Sauce:

• 250g roasted peanuts, unsalted
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1-2 red chilies (optional, adjust to taste)
• 50g palm sugar, grated
• 1 tbsp tamarind paste, dissolved in 2 tbsp warm water
• 1 tsp salt
• 100-150ml warm water (or a mix of water and coconut milk for creaminess)

Instructions

1. Prepare Vegetables: Blanch or steam the long beans, cabbage, spinach, and bean sprouts separately until tender-crisp. Drain well.
2. Cook Potatoes: If not already done, boil or steam the potatoes until tender. Peel and slice them.
3. Prepare Tofu and Tempeh: Fry or steam the tofu and tempeh until golden brown (if frying). Cut into bite-sized pieces.
4. Boil Eggs: Hard-boil the eggs, then peel and slice them into quarters or halves.
5. Make Peanut Sauce:
   1. In a food processor or with a mortar and pestle, grind the roasted peanuts, garlic, red chilies (if using), palm sugar, tamarind solution, and salt until a smooth paste forms.
   2. Gradually add warm water (or water and coconut milk mixture) while continuing to grind or blend, until the sauce reaches a desired pourable but thick consistency.
   3. Optional: Gently cook the sauce in a saucepan over low heat for a few minutes, stirring constantly, until it slightly thickens and the flavors meld.
6. Assemble Gado-Gado: Arrange the blanched vegetables, sliced potatoes, fried tofu, fried tempeh, and sliced hard-boiled eggs on a large serving plate or individual plates. If using, add sliced rice cakes.
7. Serve: Generously pour the prepared peanut sauce over all the ingredients. Garnish with crispy crackers. Serve immediately.