My first version of gado gado is a little westernised (not such a bad thing) and makes a great meal on it’s own. This recipe, from Fire Islands: Recipes from Indonesia by Eleanor Ford, is a lighter version with a fresher peanut dressing which is served underneath the other ingredients in the traditional manner. It makes an excellent side dish.
First boil 2-3 eggs to your taste (soft-boiled or hard) then shock them in icy cold water and set aside. Next, heat a generous amount of peanut oil (or similar) in a frypan and fry 150g (5½ oz) of cubed silken tofu. When the tofu is browned set it aside. For the salad the recipes suggests these vegetables: 100g (3½ oz) of snake beans or green beans, 2 bok choy, a large handful of water spinach (a.k.a. river spinach, water morning glory, water convolvulus or kangkong), ¼ of a Chinese cabbage and 2 handfuls of beansprouts. I intended to use all of these but forgot to buy bean sprouts. Prepare the beans and cut them into shorter lengths, cut the cabbage into large slices , if the bok choy is large separate the leaves and chop the water spinach into shorter lengths. Place each vegetable into the boiling water and cook until just tender. Use a spider or a sieve to remove each vegetable from the boiling water and stop them cooking by running under cold water. To make the sauce combine 75g (½ a cup) of unsweetened peanut butter with 1 clove of crushed garlic, ½ a teaspoon of salt, ½ a teaspoon of shaved dark palm sugar, 1 tablespoon of kecap manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce) and the juice of a kaffir lime or ½ a lime. Mix well to combine and thin a little with water until you have a consistency you like. Add 2 teaspoons of fried shallots and stir through. To assemble spread the peanut dressing over your serving plate and arrange the vegetables over it. Top with tofu and egg segments.
michelle picker cooks 