Gado-Gado
Gado-gado is one of Indonesia's most popular everyday dishes, sold from street carts and small warungs across Java. Blanched vegetables, potatoes, boiled eggs and golden tofu and tempeh are piled on a plate and covered in a thick peanut sauce that is sweet, tangy and a little spicy. It is filling enough for dinner, and every part can be cooked ahead and assembled in minutes.
By Mei Lin Tan
Published
- Prep Time
- 25 mins
- Cook Time
- 30 mins
- Total Time
- 55 mins
- Servings
- 4 servings
How do you make Gado-Gado?
Boil potatoes and eggs, blanch green beans, carrot, cabbage, spinach and bean sprouts, and pan-fry tofu and tempeh until golden. Blend roasted peanuts with fried garlic and chilli, palm sugar, kecap manis, tamarind and warm water, then simmer until creamy. Arrange everything on plates with sliced cucumber, pour over the peanut sauce and top with fried shallots and crackers.
- Total time
- 55 mins
- Calories
- 680 per serving
- Protein
- 36 g
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Method
- Blanching
Ingredients
Peanut sauce
Salad
To serve
Equipment
Large pot · Medium saucepan · Large skillet · Blender or food processor · Slotted spoon · Bowl of ice water
Quick Directions
Cook the potatoes and eggs
Boil the potatoes until tender and the eggs for 9 minutes.
Blanch the vegetables
Blanch the green beans, carrot, cabbage, spinach and sprouts in batches, then chill in ice water.
Fry the tofu and tempeh
Pan-fry the tofu and tempeh until golden.
Blend the peanut sauce
Fry the garlic and chilli, then blend with the peanuts, sugar, kecap manis, tamarind and water.
Simmer the sauce
Simmer the sauce for 3-5 minutes until thick and creamy.
Assemble and serve
Arrange everything on plates, pour over the sauce and top with fried shallots.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Follow these detailed steps to make the perfect gado-gado.
Cook the potatoes and eggs
Put the potatoes in a pot of cold salted water, bring to a boil and cook for 12-15 minutes until a knife slides in easily, then drain. At the same time, lower the eggs into a saucepan of boiling water and cook for 9 minutes. Cool the eggs in cold water, then peel and halve them.
Blanch the vegetables
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the vegetables in batches, lifting each batch out with a slotted spoon into a bowl of ice water: green beans and carrot for 3 minutes, cabbage for 2 minutes, and spinach and bean sprouts for 30 seconds. Drain everything well.
Fry the tofu and tempeh
Heat the 3 tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the tofu for 6-8 minutes, turning, until golden on all sides. Remove, then fry the tempeh slices for 2-3 minutes per side until golden. Drain on paper towels.
Blend the peanut sauce
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a small pan over medium heat and fry the garlic and chillies for 1 minute until fragrant but not brown. Tip them into a blender with the peanuts, sugar, kecap manis, tamarind, salt and 250 ml warm water. Blend until fairly smooth, with a little texture left.
Simmer the sauce
Pour the sauce into a saucepan and simmer over low heat for 3-5 minutes, stirring often, until it is the thickness of heavy cream. Add up to 50 ml more warm water if it gets too thick. Taste and adjust with more sugar, salt or tamarind.
Assemble and serve
Arrange the potatoes, blanched vegetables, cucumber, tofu, tempeh and eggs on plates. Spoon the warm peanut sauce over the top, scatter with fried shallots and serve with crackers and lime wedges.
Recipe Tips
- Cook the vegetables only until crisp-tender and chill them in ice water right away. They keep their colour and crunch, and the sauce clings better to well-drained vegetables.
- Use waxy potatoes such as baby potatoes or Yukon Gold so they hold their shape when sliced.
- The peanut sauce thickens as it cools. Loosen it with a spoonful of warm water before serving.
- Kecap manis is a thick, sweet soy sauce sold in the Asian aisle of most supermarkets. If you cannot find it, soy sauce with a little brown sugar works.
Variations
- Vegan: leave out the eggs, double the tofu and check that your crackers contain no egg or seafood.
- Peanut butter shortcut: whisk 125 g (1/2 cup) natural unsweetened peanut butter with the fried garlic and chilli, sugar, kecap manis, tamarind, salt and 175 ml hot water instead of blending whole peanuts.
- Serve with Indonesian compressed rice cakes (lontong) or steamed rice for a bigger meal.
- For a more traditional sauce, fry 1/2 tsp shrimp paste (terasi) with the garlic. It adds depth but the dish is no longer vegetarian.
Nutrition (per serving)
| Calories | 680 |
|---|---|
| Protein | 36 g |
| Carbs | 55 g |
| Fat | 37 g |
| Saturated fat | 6 g |
| Fibre | 11 g |
| Sugar | 13 g |
| Sodium | 640 mg |
Estimated from the listed ingredients; values vary by brand.
Related Recipes
Storing & Reheating
- Fridge
- Keep the peanut sauce in a jar for up to 5 days. Store the cooked vegetables, potatoes, tofu, tempeh and eggs in separate airtight containers for up to 3 days.
- Freezer
- The peanut sauce freezes for up to 3 months. The vegetables, potatoes and eggs do not freeze well.
- Reheat
- Serve the salad at room temperature. Warm the peanut sauce gently in a saucepan with a splash of water, stirring, until smooth and pourable.
Gado-Gado FAQs
What is gado-gado?
Gado-gado is an Indonesian salad of blanched and raw vegetables, boiled potatoes, eggs, tofu and tempeh served with a thick peanut sauce. It is usually topped with fried shallots and crackers and eaten as a full meal.
Is gado-gado served warm or cold?
Gado-gado is served at room temperature. The vegetables are blanched and cooled, and the peanut sauce is poured over warm or at room temperature.
Can I use peanut butter for gado-gado sauce?
Yes. Use 125 g (1/2 cup) natural, unsweetened peanut butter in place of the roasted peanuts and whisk it with the other sauce ingredients and about 175 ml hot water. Avoid sweetened peanut butter, which makes the sauce too sweet.
Is gado-gado vegetarian?
This recipe is vegetarian. Some traditional peanut sauces include shrimp paste, and gado-gado is often served with prawn crackers, so ask when ordering it out and choose cassava crackers or emping at home.
What can I use instead of kecap manis?
Mix 1 tbsp soy sauce with 2 tsp brown sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves. It is thinner than kecap manis but gives the peanut sauce the same sweet and salty balance.
Disclaimer
- Nutrition information is an estimate based on the listed ingredients. It changes with the brands, portion sizes and swaps you use.
- Read ingredient labels for allergens and for diet claims such as gluten-free or vegan. Products and their ingredients can change.
- Cooking times are a guide, since ovens, air fryers and slow cookers all run differently. Use a food thermometer and cook meat, poultry and fish to the safe internal temperatures in government food safety guidance.
- This recipe is general information, not medical or nutrition advice. If you have an allergy, a health condition or a special diet, check with a qualified health professional.
