Gado Gado
35 minutes
1263 reads
About Gado Gado
Gado Gado, which literally means "mix mix," is a vibrant Indonesian salad bursting with the goodness of fresh vegetables and topped with a rich, tangy peanut dressing. Popular as a street food across Indonesia, this dish is a feast of flavors and textures, combining crunchy cabbage, French beans, carrots, cauliflower, spinach, potato, cucumber, and bean sprouts with the satisfying bite of fried tofu.
While Gado Gado is often enjoyed as a wholesome meal—sometimes enhanced with tempeh, rice cakes, or even shrimp paste for non-vegetarian versions—this recipe keeps things simple and 100% vegetarian. Skipping tempeh and lontong lets the fresh veggies and creamy peanut sauce shine. For an authentic touch, the sauce is made by pounding roasted peanuts, shallots, and garlic in a mortar and pestle, ensuring every bite is packed with flavor and tradition.
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Recipe Time & More
Prep10 minutes
Cook25 minutes
Total35 minutes
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup French Beans cut lengthwise
- 1/2 cup Cabbage shredded
- 1/2 cup Carrot cut lengthwise
- 1/2 florets Cauliflower
- 1/2 cup Potato cut lengthwise and soaked in water
- 1/2 cup Cucumber cut lengthwise
- 1/2 cup Bean Sprouts
- 10 leaves Spinach baby
- 100 gm Tofu cut lengthwise
- Peanuts or sauce for sauce
- 1/2 cup Peanuts
- 3 clove Garlic peeled or
- 4 Shallots peeled or
- 1 tsp Chili Powder red
- 1 tsp Sugar brown, or sugar or palm sugar
- 1.5 tsp Salt or as per taste
- 1 tbsp Tamarind Paste
- 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil and
- 1 cup Water approximately
Instructions
- Wash and chop the veggies as mentioned above. I have used the whole baby spinach leaves as such€¦If you are using large spinach leaves, torn them into pieces.
- Blanch French beans, carrots, cauliflower florets, shredded cabbage, bean sprouts and spinach separately with little bit of salt.
- Dip them in cold water for few minutes and strain the excess water. The veggies should be crisp, firm and not soft.
- Boil the potatoes till they are cooked well but firm. Strain the excess water. Cucumber can be used raw. Refrigerate the veggies till we use them in salad.
- Make slurry of 1 tsp of corn flour, 3 tbsp of water, salt and pepper to taste. Dip tofu pieces in this slurry and pan fry/roast them on all the sides.
- You can also roast plain tofu without using corn flour paste€¦my family doesnTMt like to have plain fried tofu. So, I follow this method to make tofu more interesting.
- To prepare peanut sauce: Heat 1 tsp of oil in a kadai and roast peanuts till they turn golden. Using a mortar and pestle, pound roasted peanuts into a coarse powder. Keep it aside. Now, pound the shallots and garlic cloves coarsely.
- Heat 2 tbsp of oil, add pounded shallots and garlic. Sauté till nice aroma emits. Add red chilly powder, salt, palm sugar and sauté for a second. Add the given amount of water followed by the tamarind paste. Mix well and bring it to boil.
- Stir the pounded peanut powder into the sauce. Simmer until the sauce thickens. Switch off the flame and let it cool.
- Before serving, arrange the vegetables and fried tofu in a serving platter. Pour the peanut sauce in the middle and serve. You can also serve it like a finger salad with peanut sauce in a bowl.
Recipe Notes
- Peanuts, shallots and garlic can also be blended in a mixer but the flavor and taste obtained doesn’t match the pounded version. Shallots can be substituted with small sized onions. Peanut oil can be used in place of vegetable oil. Crackers of any flavour, roasted garlic or shallots can be used for garnishing.
Additional Tips
- For extra crunch and authentic flavor, lightly blanch vegetables like French beans, carrots, and cauliflower—just until crisp-tender—then immediately plunge them into ice water to preserve their vibrant color and texture.
- If you prefer a smoky depth in your peanut sauce, try roasting the peanuts and garlic over an open flame or in a dry skillet before pounding; this adds a beautifully nuanced flavor reminiscent of traditional Indonesian street food stalls.
- Serve the peanut sauce warm for a richer, more aromatic dressing—simply heat it gently before pouring over the assembled salad, which enhances the melding of flavors and softens the tofu slightly.
- For a gluten-free version, ensure you use gluten-free soy sauce in the peanut dressing, and double-check any store-bought tofu or condiments for hidden wheat ingredients.
Recipe Nutrition
Calories: 90kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 1gFat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4.2gSodium: 855mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2g
Shyamala Kumar
Articles: 33
6 Comments
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I’m loving this recipe already!
What a delicious recipe! Thanks for posting.
I’m eager to make this recipe!
Such an enticing dish! Thanks for the recipe.
This looks so good! Appreciate the share.
Congratulations Shyamala, Your recipe has been appreciated by Judge chef Reetu Uday Kugaji for “Salad Recipe Theme of the week”. Here is what she has to say about your recipe – Also known as Lotek, an Indonesian salad. Indeed a burst of flavors. The combination of Ingredients is absolutely fantastic!!!!!! A must try.