Gado-Gado
- Total Time
- 45 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:6 to 8 servings
- 2 to 3tablespoons neutral oil, such as grapeseed or vegetable
- 1(14-ounce) package extra-firm tofu, drained and cut into ½-inch slices
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 10ounces green beans, trimmed
- ½small napa cabbage, finely sliced
- 6ounces bean sprouts (about 2 cups)
- 10new potatoes or other small variety, peeled and halved
- 1large cucumber, peeled and sliced thinly on the diagonal
- 2tomatoes, each cut into 8 wedges
- 4boiled (8-minute) eggs, peeled and halved
- ½cup homemade or store-bought fried shallots
- 1cup roasted unsalted peanuts
- 4shallots, peeled and sliced
- 3garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 to 2red chiles, deseeded and sliced
- 3tablespoons kecap manis (see Tip)
- 2tablespoons palm or brown sugar
- 1teaspoon sea salt
For the Salad
For the Satay Sauce
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
334 calories; 14 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 41 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams dietary fiber; 12 grams sugars; 18 grams protein; 899 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
Heat a large frying pan over medium-high. When hot, drizzle with 1 to 2 tablespoons oil and add the tofu slices. Season the tofu well with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium and fry for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove from the pan and allow to cool. Cut tofu into squares or triangles.
- Step 2
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add green beans and blanch for about 4 minutes or until just tender. Just before the beans are ready, add cabbage and bean sprouts to the pot and shock them in the water for about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Transfer the vegetables to a colander, refresh under cold water and drain well.
- Step 3
Bring the same pot of water (add more water and salt, if required) to the boil, and add the potatoes and cook until tender, about 15 minutes.
- Step 4
Meanwhile, make the satay sauce: Place the peanuts, sliced shallots, garlic and chile into a blender or food processor, and blitz until it becomes a chunky paste. You can add a splash of water to get the blender going, or if you prefer a smoother paste. (It is traditional to use a mortar and pestle to make the paste, so if you have one, use it.)
- Step 5
Heat a medium saucepan over medium-low, drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon oil, and add the paste, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes, until fragrant. Add the kecap manis, palm sugar, salt and 1 cup water. Stir for 2 to 3 minutes, until the sauce is well combined. (Peanut sauce can be stored in a jar in the refrigerator for 7 days.)
- Step 6
To serve, divide the blanched vegetables, potatoes, tofu, cucumber, tomatoes and eggs over several serving plates or assemble it all on one large serving platter. Drizzle each plate generously with the peanut sauce and top with crispy fried shallots.
Tip
- You can make your own substitute for kecap manis by mixing together equal amounts of soy sauce and palm sugar (or brown sugar) and boiling until syrupy, 10 to 15 minutes. Allow to cool completely, as it will thicken further. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
David Mendoza
I live on Bali - there are very good peanut sauce pastes sold here but I have also bought them in the US - my favorite is the brand FINNA. all you do is add water and heat. Here they come in various levels of "pedas" -- chile heat. In fact there are various versions, for gado-gado, or for satay.
Tina
I make a heap of rice and add turmeric to the water, to turn it yellow. I fill the serving bowl with baby spinach, and when the rice is done, I spread it out hot onto the spinach, so the spinach cooks. I think arrange the vegetables and eggs, etc on top of the bright yellow rice which becomes ringed with green from the spinach peeking out around the edges. It makes for a very colorful presentation.
Jenn
If I make my own kecap manis sub do I still add the 2 tablespoons of brown sugar that is the next ingredient?
Barnaby Q. Carruthers
This occurred to me too before I made the dish. But no worries, there's no critical make-or-break moment when adding the brown sugar. The sauce can simmer a while; just add the sugar incrementally until it tastes right. For what it's worth I made my own kecap manis and ended up with about 2 tbsp brown sugar added.
Ron Kok
One of he most essential parts of much of Indonesian cooking is missing! Krupuk. The ubiquitous shrimp chips that are served whole or crumpled on top and add a crunchy texture. You might find them in Asian markets that have a good Southeast Asian food section.
Gale S
This was a perfect summer dish. Easy to prepare ahead of time and it comes together easily when ready to serve. Blanching the shredded cabbage was a nice touch since it took the heavy cabbage flavor out. A nice dish to serve when entertaining because the laying out of all the wonderful ingredients on a large platter is a feast for the eyes and allows guests to serve themselves. We did use our own peanut sauce which is more Thai style with peanut butter, Thai red curry paste, and coconut milk.
Pookie
Like many people, I suspect, I made this tonight. It was delicious! However, I found the sauce too sweet and too bland, and had to tweak it quite a bit. I added 1 TBS of miso, 1 TBS of black vinegar, 1 TBS of soy sauce, 2 TSP of chili powder, 1 TSP of yuzu-kosho (a citrus-green chili paste)... and then it was fantastic!
Amanda
This is a recipe that could be an easy weeknight meal if you make the two sauces (kecap manis + peanut) in advance and stick in fridge.
Amy K
Didn’t plan ahead to make the kecap mains so just substituted soy sauce and a little extra sugar and the sauce was still tasty and the leftovers made a great cold picnic the next day.
Maria
This was time consuming and the dish did not go over well at my house. Flavors did not mesh well for our tastes.
Hannah
This was DELICIOUS. It did take me way longer than 45 minutes, though. I also won’t blanch the veggies for as long next time (I added the cabbage and sprouts 3 minutes in) — it would have been nice to keep some crispness.
Leah
Super yum! I added a bit of vinegar to the peanut sauce and some fresh mint and cilantro the salad for some extra flavor. Will make this again and again. Thanks Hetty!
Mike S
Where do the fried shallots come in?
gerry
I made this during a COLD Oregon week but wasn't in the mood for something cold. I let the Peanut Sauce meld in the fridge overnight then I warmed the servings in the wave and served it with the Peanut sauce. Wonderful. Packed with protein, this dish really filled us up. Gerry in Oregon
Bibi
I made Mollie Katzen's classic Moosewood version of gado gado many moons ago for a birthday party and it was quite the centerpiece, but not a little work. I recall it was well worth the effort. This version in appearance is not heaping or layered or centerpiece-y but more in the spirit of make your own.
victoria
Way too much shallot called for in the satay sauce. Had to go back and add stuff to off-set. Oof.
Nancy
I did not care for the satay sauce -- it was too onion-forward, overpowering the peanut flavor. This, even after cutting back on shallots, because my shallots were large. Maybe sautéing them before blending would have helped? Next time I'll just freestyle the sauce with peanut butter, soy, brown sugar, chili crisp etc
Pookie
Like many people, I suspect, I made this tonight. It was delicious! However, I found the sauce too sweet and too bland, and had to tweak it quite a bit. I added 1 TBS of miso, 1 TBS of black vinegar, 1 TBS of soy sauce, 2 TSP of chili powder, 1 TSP of yuzu-kosho (a citrus-green chili paste)... and then it was fantastic!
Sharon
I used this dish as a portable dinner, so I served everything cold. I didn't fancy cold fried tofu, so I used grilled chicken in its place. I blanched green beans and broccoli and carrot chunks just until barely tender. I did the potatoes, tomatoes and eggs. I did the sauce exactly and it seemed bland. I added crushed red pepper to amp up spice and fish sauce improved it enormously. Unless it has to be vegetarian, toss some fish sauce in. Also, a handful of Thai basil over everything!
Birgit
It might not be authentic, but I added a splash of Thai Fish sauce to the satay sauce for an extra salty touch. Worked very well
barbA
This dish looks pretty, elegant and a bit easier than the Mollie Katzen version I made about 20 years ago for a party where I had a mix of lactose intolerants, one guest with a wheat allergy, and vegetarians -- it served them all, and more! It was delicious but very labor intensive to prep. In the interest of fun comparison, here is Katzen's version: http://legacy.culinate.com/content/369933/index.html N.B.: Check your soy sauce/tamari for wheat if you are serving those with wheat allergies.
Ron Kok
One of he most essential parts of much of Indonesian cooking is missing! Krupuk. The ubiquitous shrimp chips that are served whole or crumpled on top and add a crunchy texture. You might find them in Asian markets that have a good Southeast Asian food section.
Heather
Note, though, that not everyone lives in a place where they have access to those. I appreciate that the NYT tries to list ingredients that would be widely available, not just to folks with access to an Asian market.
Tina
I make a heap of rice and add turmeric to the water, to turn it yellow. I fill the serving bowl with baby spinach, and when the rice is done, I spread it out hot onto the spinach, so the spinach cooks. I think arrange the vegetables and eggs, etc on top of the bright yellow rice which becomes ringed with green from the spinach peeking out around the edges. It makes for a very colorful presentation.
Liz
Very good! Sauce was delicious, although next time I will cut down on the amount of added sugar as I like it a bit less sweet. Will also skip blanching the bean sprouts and cabbage because I like the crunch of the raw vegetables.
Amy K
Didn’t plan ahead to make the kecap mains so just substituted soy sauce and a little extra sugar and the sauce was still tasty and the leftovers made a great cold picnic the next day.
Emily
This is wonderful! Don’t skimp on the crispy shallots. Perfect hot weather meal.
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