Gado-gado is an Indonesian salad of cooked and fresh vegetables, often served with tofu, tempeh, egg, and a rich peanut sauce. This version balances crisp vegetables with tender potatoes and a savory, sweet-tart sauce, so it works as a colorful main dish or a generous shared platter.
Ingredients
- For the peanut sauce:
- 1 cup (145 g) roasted unsalted peanuts
- 2 garlic cloves (6 g), peeled
- 1 small red chile (5 g), seeded for less heat, optional
- 1 tablespoon (15 g) tamarind paste, or 2 teaspoons (10 g) tamarind concentrate
- 2 tablespoons (25 g) grated palm sugar or dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) kecap manis, plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon (3 g) fine salt
- ¾ cup (180 ml) hot water, plus more as needed
- For the salad:
- 1 pound (450 g) waxy potatoes, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces
- 4 large eggs (about 200 g without shells)
- 8 ounces (225 g) green beans, trimmed and halved
- 2 cups (140 g) thinly sliced green cabbage
- 8 ounces (225 g) bean sprouts
- 2 medium carrots (160 g), cut into thin matchsticks
- 1 medium cucumber (300 g), thinly sliced
- 14 ounces (400 g) firm tofu, patted dry and cut into ¾-inch (2 cm) cubes
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) neutral cooking oil
- ½ teaspoon (3 g) salt, for seasoning the tofu
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) kecap manis, for serving or seasoning, optional
- 4 cups (about 40 g) prawn crackers, for serving, optional
- 1 lime (about 60 g), cut into wedges, for serving, optional
Instructions
- Make the peanut sauce. Put the peanuts, garlic, chile if using, tamarind, palm sugar, kecap manis, and ½ teaspoon salt in a blender or food processor. Add the hot water and blend until mostly smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides. For a more traditional, slightly textured sauce, crush the ingredients with a mortar and pestle instead. The sauce should be thick but pourable; blend in hot water 1 tablespoon (15 ml) at a time if it is too stiff. Taste and adjust with a little more tamarind for tang, sugar for sweetness, or kecap manis for a deeper, sweeter soy flavor. Set aside.
- Prepare the vegetables and tofu. Wash and trim the vegetables while bringing a large pot of water to a boil. Keep the cucumber aside for serving raw. Pat the tofu dry so it browns rather than steams. Set out a bowl of cold water if you want to cool the blanched vegetables quickly. Doing this preparation before the cooking begins makes the short blanching stages easier to manage.
- Cook the potatoes and eggs. Add the potatoes to a saucepan, cover with cold water by about 1 inch (2.5 cm), and bring to a boil. Simmer for 12–15 minutes, until a knife slides easily into the largest piece. Add the eggs carefully for the last 10–11 minutes of cooking, keeping them at a gentle boil; if your potatoes need longer, start the eggs in a second saucepan instead. Lift out the eggs and cool them under cold running water. Cook whole boiled eggs until the yolk and white are firm. Drain the potatoes and let them steam-dry for a minute so they do not water down the plate.
- Blanch the vegetables. Bring fresh water to a boil, or use the potato water if it is still clean and at a boil. Cook the green beans for about 3 minutes, until bright green and tender-crisp; lift them out with a slotted spoon. Blanch the cabbage for 1 minute and the bean sprouts for 30–45 seconds. Drain each vegetable well. Rinse briefly under cold water or transfer to cold water to stop the cooking, then drain thoroughly. Keep the carrots raw for crunch.
- Brown the tofu. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tofu in a single layer, working in batches if necessary, and cook for 8–10 minutes, turning the cubes occasionally until several sides are golden. Season with the ½ teaspoon salt. Transfer to a plate. If the pan looks dry between batches, add a small splash of oil rather than crowding the tofu; crowded cubes release moisture and tend to soften instead of browning.
- Finish and serve. If the peanut sauce has thickened, warm it gently in a small saucepan with a splash of water, stirring until smooth; do not let it scorch. Peel and halve the cooled eggs. Arrange the potatoes, beans, cabbage, sprouts, carrots, cucumber, tofu, and eggs on a platter or divide among four plates. Spoon the sauce over the top or serve it alongside so everyone can choose how much they want. Add kecap manis, crackers, and lime wedges if desired, and serve promptly.
Tips
- Use the right texture for the sauce. Gado-gado sauce should cling to vegetables without becoming a paste. Add hot water gradually, since the peanuts absorb liquid as the sauce sits. If it becomes too thin, blend in a few more peanuts or let it stand for several minutes to thicken.
- Know your kecap manis substitute. Kecap manis is Indonesian sweet soy sauce, thicker and sweeter than ordinary soy sauce. If it is hard to find, mix 2 teaspoons (10 ml) soy sauce with 1 teaspoon (5 ml) molasses or brown sugar for each tablespoon used. The substitute is less syrupy and has a sharper soy flavor, so taste before adding extra salt.
- Adjust tamarind to the product. Tamarind paste and concentrated tamarind can vary in strength. Begin with the smaller amount if using concentrate, then add a little more after blending. Lime juice can add brightness in a pinch, but it tastes fresher and less deep than tamarind.
- Drain thoroughly and keep the components distinct. Wet vegetables dilute the sauce, while tofu crowded in the pan will not brown well. Drain the blanched vegetables and sprouts carefully, cook tofu in batches, and wait to dress the platter until just before serving.
Serving Suggestions
Serve gado-gado at room temperature or slightly warm, with the peanut sauce generously spooned over the vegetables or placed in a bowl for dipping. A platter is especially useful when people want different amounts of sauce or prefer to leave out an ingredient. Add prawn crackers for a crisp, savory contrast; they are optional, and the dish is still substantial without them.
For a fuller meal, serve the salad with steamed rice or slices of lontong, a firm Indonesian rice cake traditionally made by cooking rice in a compact form and slicing it. Lontong is sold at some Indonesian or Southeast Asian shops, but it is not essential here. A squeeze of lime just before eating can brighten the rich peanut dressing. If serving a group, keep the sauce separate until the last moment so the vegetables retain their individual textures.
Variations
Gado-gado varies from household to household and across Indonesia; the mix of vegetables and the thickness or sweetness of the peanut sauce are not fixed. You can swap in steamed spinach, chayote, water spinach, or lightly cooked cauliflower, keeping each vegetable tender but not limp. Choose a mix of colors and textures, and cook vegetables separately when their cooking times differ so none become overdone.
Tempeh is a common alternative or addition to tofu. Replace some or all of the tofu with 8 ounces (225 g) tempeh, cut into thin slices or cubes, and pan-fry it in the same way; its texture is firmer and its flavor more earthy. For a meat-free version, check that the crackers are made without seafood. For a vegan platter, omit the eggs and use vegan crackers if desired. To make the dressing hotter, blend in another chile; to make it milder, leave the chile out and serve sambal separately.
If you cannot use peanuts, smooth sunflower seed butter can make a workable sauce. Start with ¾ cup (190 g) sunflower seed butter in place of the peanuts, reduce the hot water at first, and blend in more until pourable. The result is smoother and has a different, seed-forward flavor, so it will not taste quite like the peanut version. Check the seed butter label for added salt or sugar before seasoning.
Storage and Reheating
For best texture, store the sauce, cooked vegetables, tofu, potatoes, and eggs separately from the raw cucumber and crackers. Refrigerate all cooked components within 2 hours of cooking, in covered containers. They keep for 3–4 days in the refrigerator; the cucumber and blanched vegetables may soften over time, and crackers should stay sealed at room temperature rather than in the refrigerator.
Reheat only the portions you plan to eat. Warm potatoes and tofu in a skillet or microwave, and heat the sauce gently with a little water to loosen it. Reheat cooked leftovers to 165°F (74°C), checking with a food thermometer. Add the cold cucumber and crackers after reheating, and dress the vegetables just before serving. Do not leave an assembled platter at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is gado-gado served hot or cold?
It is commonly served at room temperature or lightly warm rather than piping hot. The vegetables can be cooked ahead and cooled, while the sauce can be served at room temperature or gently warmed. Avoid chilling the whole dressed platter for a long time, because the sauce can thicken and the vegetables can lose their fresh texture.
Can I make the peanut sauce ahead?
Yes. Make it up to 3–4 days ahead and keep it covered in the refrigerator. It will thicken as it chills, so stir in hot water a tablespoon at a time when serving. Taste again afterward, since the added water can soften the sauce’s salt, sweetness, and tang.
Do I need a blender to make the sauce?
No. A mortar and pestle works well if you crush the peanuts, garlic, and chile into a coarse paste before mixing in the remaining ingredients and hot water. The sauce will be more textured and take more effort, but it does not need to be perfectly smooth. A sturdy food processor is another option.
What can I use instead of tamarind?
Lime juice is a practical substitute when tamarind is unavailable, but it gives a brighter, less rounded acidity. Start with 1–2 teaspoons (5–10 ml), blend, and taste before adding more. A small splash of rice vinegar can also add acidity, though neither substitute duplicates tamarind’s distinctive flavor.
Can I prepare the vegetables in advance?
Yes. Blanch and drain the beans, cabbage, and sprouts, then refrigerate them in separate covered containers for up to 3 days. Cook the potatoes and tofu ahead as well. Keep cucumber uncut until closer to serving if possible, and assemble the platter with sauce only when you are ready to eat.
Is this recipe vegetarian or vegan?
It is vegetarian when made as written, provided the optional crackers do not contain seafood. To make it vegan, leave out the eggs and choose vegan crackers; the tofu, vegetables, and peanut sauce remain. Check the labels on kecap manis and other packaged ingredients if you are cooking for someone with specific dietary requirements.
Related
- Indonesian Duck Recipe: Slow-Braised with Coconut Spices
- Indonesian Mie Goreng Recipe: Easy, Savory Noodles
- Indonesian Beef Satay Recipe with Easy Peanut Sauce
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