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Gado Gado is an Indonesian cold salad of blanched, steamed or fresh vegetables of your choice, plus hard-boiled eggs & homemade rice cakes served with a peanut satay sauce.
CONDIMENTS
Vegetables
There is no strict rule about what vegetables you choose to add to Gado Gado, so have fun customising your selection of veggies.
You can throw in some cubed pineapple or apple pieces to add some sweetness.
Satay Peanut Sauce – easy or authentic
The following peanut satay sauce is an easy version of the “authentic” satay sauce for Gluten-Free Chicken Satays. In comparison, it is lightning quick to make and very tame in spiciness, so children will also enjoy this sauce with almost any vegetables. A good way to get your kids to eat their veggies!
If you are after more spice and would prefer the authentic recipe, allow for some extra work to roast the peanuts, grind the spices and nurture the satay sauce as it cooks gently over the stove.
KETUPAT – Indonesian Rice Cakes
A traditional and popular addition to Gado Gado salad is some cubed Ketupat rice cakes. These are compressed rice cakes that have been cooked in water or coconut milk (for a richer flavour) and pandan leaves.
In Indonesia, these cakes are packed into woven palm leaf pouches They are sold as a side for many local dishes including satays. These are perfect to dip into the peanut sauce as they absorb the flavour without losing their shape.
Pandan Leaves
Also known as fragrant screwpine or vanilla grass.
These are used extensively in South East Asian cuisine and give a unique vanilla taste with a hint of coconut. It’s used in both savoury and sweet dishes.
To release its flavour, the ends are cut, washed and tied in a knot. At the end of cooking, the leaf is removed and discarded.
Check the chilled section at Asian supermarkets and store it in the fridge vegetable compartment. It keeps for 2-3 weeks wrapped in plastic.
Pandan essence (also at Asian supermarkets) mimics the flavour quite well, but there is nothing better than the real thing.
Gado Gado Indonesian Salad with Rice Cakes (Ketupat)
Equipment
- medium wooden/bamboo skewers for dipping certain veggies, tofu and rice cakes into the satay sauce
Ingredients
Gado Gado Salad
- 2 potatoes, boiled until just soft & holds its shape, cooled & cut into small chunks
- 3 eggs, boiled, cut in half
- 20 string green beans, ends removed
- 1 red capsicum/bell pepper, sliced lengthways
- 1/2 cucumber, cut into small chunks
- 1/2 packet smoked tofu, cubed
- 1 packet store-bought prawn crackers (optional)
Gluten-Free Easy Peanut Sauce
- 6 tbsp crunchy peanut butter
- 125 ml full or light coconut milk
- 1 fresh red chilli, finely chopped (optional)
- ½ lime, juiced
- 1 tsp coconut, palm or brown sugar
- 2 tsp Tamari gluten-free soy sauce
- 2 tsp sweet chilli sauce
- salt & white pepper, to taste
Rice Cakes (Ketupat in Indonesian and Malay)
- 180 g Jasmine rice
- ¼ tsp salt
- 500 ml water, or coconut milk (for a richer flavour)
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 2 strands fresh pandan leaves, or
- 1 tsp pandan extract
Instructions
Gado Gado Salad
- Boil the potatoes (with or without their peel) for 15 minutes or until just cooked. Set aside to cool. Try not to overcook the potatoes as the potatoes should hold their shape for easy dipping into the sauce.
- Boil the eggs for 8 minutes. Drain the water away and run the eggs under cold water for easy peeling of the shells. Set aside to cool.
- Cook the green beans in simmering water for 8 minutes. Drain the beans and submerge them in iced water for a few minutes. Drain again and set aside.
- Cut the remaining fresh vegetables and smoked tofu.
- Arrange the vegetables, tofu & potatoes on a large platter. Cover and set aside.
Gluten-Free Easy Peanut Sauce
- Gather the ingredients to make the easy satay sauce.
- In a small pan, mix the peanut butter, coconut milk & optional fresh chilli gently over medium-low heat for 15 minutes or until it thickens into a “dipping sauce” consistency.
- Add the lime juice, sugar, soy sauce and sweet chilli sauce.
- Gently simmer for 15 minutes, keeping the "dipping sauce" consistency constant. If the mixture becomes too thick, add more coconut milk. Too thin, reduce the heat and simmer with the lid off until the sauce reduces down and thickens. Alternatively, add a bit more peanut sauce as a faster step.
- Taste the peanut sauce before adding the salt and pepper to your liking.
- Allow to cool down slightly before serving at room temperature.
- Serve the peanut sauce in a large bowl in the centre of the salad platter and provide satay sticks to pierce the Gado Gado salad ingredients individually to dip into the sauce. Additionally, serve with optional rice cakes (ketupat) and prawn crackers.
Rice Cakes (KetupatT
- Wash and drain the rice several times.
- The rice should be visible in the water after several rinses. Drain the water from the rice.
- Add the rice, salt, coconut oil and water or coconut milk to the rice cooker or stove pot.
- Tie the pandan leaves into a knot and place them in the rice or mix the pandan essence in the rice water.
- Cook the rice in the rice cooker or bring the water to a boil and simmer gently in the stove pot with the lid on for 15 minutes, or until all the water has fully absorbed into the rice.
- Once cooked, fluff the rice with a fork.
- Discard the pandan leaves.
- Transfer the warm rice to a plastic-lined square 23cm tray.
- Press the rice firmly down into the tray using a spatula, pushing the rice towards the corners and sides of the tray.
- Cover the rice-filled tray with plastic and using a skewer or satay stick, make several holes for the steam to escape.
- Allow to cool in the fridge for at least one hour before cutting the rice cakes into 1 ½ cm squares using a warm knife by dipping the knife in warm water and wiping it dry with a clean tea towel.
- NOTE: If you would like more "compact" rice cakes, place several milk cartons or tins on their sides on top of the plastic-covered rice cake tray for an extra hour.
Notes
- Keeps for 3 days
- Peanut sauce and rice cakes are suitable to freeze
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