Gado Gado (Indonesian Salad with Peanut Dressing)

For those unfamiliar with Indonesian cuisine, gado gado, which translates as “mix mix,” is a fantastic introduction to the dynamic flavors of Indonesian cooking. The salad features different blanched vegetables like bean sprouts, spinach, and chayote, plus tofu and tempeh for heft. It’s served alongside a savory, spicy peanut sauce, sprinkles of fried shallots, and crispy shrimp chips. Typically, gado gado is eaten for breakfast or lunch as a stand-alone meal. 

I first tasted this humble dish thanks to my dear friend, Umi Syam, who was born and raised in Jakarta, Indonesia. She introduced the dish as one of her comfort foods and kindly walked me through the different flavor notes that made gado gado so distinct. In Asian cuisine, there are so many types of peanut sauce, but she explained that gado gado’s peanut sauce is heavily garlicky with a punch of spices from peppers. As one of her favorite street foods, she taught me how to make it at home.

After some trial and error, we tasted the final version together, and I immediately fell in love. It was so flavorful, and each bite was exciting because of all the different textures. Whether you eat it for lunch or breakfast, it’ll be a delicious first look at the flavors of Indonesian cuisine in your home. 

• The garlicky, spicy peanut sauce is so flavorful — you’ll want to put it on everything!
• Gado gado is a great way to experience the flavors of Indonesia in your home. Plus, it’s a delicious, exciting way to enjoy a variety of different vegetables.

• Roasted unsalted peanuts: Using roasted peanuts makes the sauce extra flavorful.
• Kecap manis: This sweet soy sauce is one of the essential seasonings in Indonesian cuisine. It has a dark color with a syrupy consistency and tastes similar to molasses.
• Fish sauce: Traditionally, gado gado sauce is made with dried shrimp paste, but since this recipe calls for such a small amount, fish sauce is a great substitute to mimic its umami, salty flavors, according to Umi. If you happen to have dried shrimp paste, you can use it in its place. 
• Thai or small bird’s eye chiles: The key difference in Indonesian peanut sauce, compared with other peanut sauce, is the level of heat. It should taste spicy but not overwhelmingly, and the flavors of chiles should be pronounced.
• Vegetables: Typically, spinach, bean sprouts, and green beans are included, but you can use any vegetables you have to make gado gado.
• Tempeh: This traditional Indonesian food is made from fermented soybeans. It has a hard exterior, but when it’s fried in oil, it forms a nice crispy crust with a savory, funky taste.  

1. Make the peanut sauce. Make the savory peanut sauce by grinding the ingredients in a food processor. 
2. Blanch the vegetables. Blanch the vegetables, such as spinach, bean sprouts, and green beans, and cook the eggs.
3. Fry the tofu and tempeh. Cut the tofu and tempeh into bite-size pieces and fry until they form a nice crispy crust. 
4. Assemble the salad. Assemble the blanched vegetables, fried tofu, and fried tempeh in a large platter (or a bowl) and add a generous amount of peanut sauce. Garnish with fried shallots and fried shrimp chips. 

• Swap bunched spinach with any type of leafy greens, like yu choy or bok choy.
• Swap tempeh with extra-firm tofu.
• Swap Thai bird’s eye chilies with serrano peppers or any spicy red peppers.
• You can also add cooked baby Yukon potatoes to make the salad even more hearty. 

• You can make the peanut sauce in advance and keep it for up to 5 days in the fridge. 
• You can blanch the vegetables in advance, then assemble the salad with the peanut sauce when ready to serve.
• If the premade peanut sauce seems too hard, loosen it by mixing it with warm water.