Gado-gado is Indonesian in origin. However, exactly where in Indonesia and when is a topic that has many versions. There are various theories as to how Gado-gado came about; some say it’s an indirect Portuguese heritage while others insist that it was born in Jakarta. The name itself means all mixed up.
Gado-gado is an easy mixed salad made up of cooked and raw items and served with a delicious peanut sauce like satay. You can make the sauce as mild or as spicy as you like, just change the type or the number of chilies you use. The fat and calorie content is pretty high because of the peanut sauce.
You could reduce this by using half the amount of peanuts. But bear in mind that the peanut sauce in this recipe is pretty generous and will serve 6 – 8 people, especially if you are making it runnier. It’s a much-loved dish in Singapore and Malaysia, too, like many mainstream Indonesian recipes. It’s something you can find easily in many hawker centres and restaurants.
Ingredients Quantity
White cabbage, finely shredded and washed 150g
Bean sprout /green beans 100g
Potato, cooked and diced 150g
Tomato, skinned, de-seeded, diced 50g
Eggs, hard-boiled 2
Vegetable oil 60ml
Dressing
Onion, finely chopped 50g
Clove garlic, crushed or chopped 2
Green chili, finely chopped 2
Crunchy peanut butter 45g
Malt vinegar 3tbs
Coconut milk 120ml
Method
- Drain the cabbage and beans sprout and mix.
- Add the potato and the tomato and season lightly.
- Arrange neatly in serving dish and decorate with quarters of the hard-boiled eggs.
- Prepare the dressing; heat the oil in a sauteuse or pan and stir-fry the onion, garlic and chili for about two minutes.
- Stir in the peanut butter, vinegar and coconut milk; simmer for further two to three minutes.
- Poor the hot sauce over the salad or serve separately.
