Scrambled Eggs, Cheese, and Avocado Tortilla Bowl Recipe
September 16, 2025
Gado Gado (Indonesian salad with peanut sauce) Recipe
Gado Gado – enjoyable to say, scrumptious to eat, this conventional Indonesian salad might be the one recipe the place you may put the phrases “blanched greens” and “tasty” in the identical sentence and actually imply it. That Gado Gado peanut sauce is a miracle employee!
A Bali meals favorite, it’s wholesome and endlessly versatile. Use ANY greens – uncooked or cooked!
Gado Gado – Indonesian Salad with Peanut Sauce
It is a dish for the veg hating youngster inside all of us. Intelligent Indonesians discovered a strategy to make plain greens utterly irresistible to everybody – by drizzling with a candy savoury Indonesian peanut sauce!
As a result of severely – if you happen to plonk a large plate of boiled greens in entrance of me and name it dinner, I’d take a look at you such as you’d misplaced your thoughts.
However then if peanut sauce makes an look…. out of the blue, dinner will get a complete lot extra thrilling. Gado Gado! We love saying the identify, we love how vibrant it’s, we most positively love consuming it, and we REALLY love that how virtuous it makes us really feel, scoffing down so many greens for dinner!
“Gado Gado” means “mix-mix” which is suitable for this versatile dish that may be made with any mixture of greens
What goes in Gado Gado Peanut Sauce
Gado Gado is all in regards to the peanut sauce which is a slight variation of Thai Peanut Sauce.
When made out of scratch, it’s a little bit of a ache, calling for pureeing roasted peanuts (and it’s robust to make it utterly clean), a handful of aromatics like lemongrass, galangal, garlic, South East Asian “umami” from shrimp paste, plus sauces.
So I take a cheeky however extremely efficient shortcut utilizing a little bit of Thai purple curry paste. It has the identical elements, and saves a bunch of time, effort and cash. Win, win, win!
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Thai purple curry paste – my favorite model its Maesri. Greatest most genuine flavour by far – and occurs to be the most cost effective at ~$1.50 for a little bit can. Accessible at massive grocery shops in Australia (Coles, Woolworths, Harris Farms) and naturally, Asian shops. And sure, expensive common readers, you simply learn the identical about Massaman Curry paste in Friday’s lamb shanks recipe!!
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Pure peanut butter – Pure peanut butter is 100% peanuts and has a stronger peanut flavour than industrial peanut butter which has sugar and different components. Fairly extensively out there these days within the well being meals part of supermarkets. Can use regular peanut butter unfold however the peanut flavour isn’t pretty much as good and sauce shall be thicker. Don’t be tempted to dilute with an excessive amount of water – it’s going to dilute the flavour!
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Kecap Manis – darkish candy thick candy Indonesian soy sauce. Thicker and sweeter than regular soy sauce, with a consistency like syrup. Right here in Australia, kecap manis is out there in main supermarkets and Asian shops. Simple sub: honey and darkish soy sauce. Additionally used for: Nasi Goreng (Indonesian Fried Rice), Indonesian Satay Chicken and Mie Goreng Noodles;
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Coconut milk – flavour and creaminess for the sauce;
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Lime and garlic – tang and flavour!
What goes in Gado Gado
The entire level of Gado Gado is to be versatile, so whereas Gado Gado in Indonesia will often be served with one or two elements you mightn’t be accustomed to (akin to Morning Glory, bitter gourd, chayote), you’ll doubtless recognise most elements.
Spinach, beansprouts, egg and cucumber are usually included, so I’ve included it in mine. Potato is my starch of selection, although you may simply embrace some rice as an alternative, or bulk out on extra filling greens akin to broccoli or cauliflower.
It’s good to incorporate a wide range of textures and colors, in addition to a starch so it makes a satisfying meal. Any potato, or one thing like pumpkin, or greens like broccoli and cauliflower are nice for filling out this salad to make it a meal that can maintain you full.
Tempeh
The one ingredient you spy within the above that you simply mightn’t be accustomed to is tempeh. Tempeh is an Indonesian fermented soy bean product that vegetarians are mad for!😂
It has a texture like agency tofu, however meatier, and it tastes nutty – type of like sunflower seeds. These days, it’s often out there within the tofu part of huge supermarkets in Australia (Wooles, Coles, Harris Farms).
Right here’s what it appears to be like like uncooked:
And right here is the way it fries up within the skillet.
Sure, it tastes as crispy and good because it appears to be like!
Can’t discover tempeh – or doesn’t enchantment??
Completely nice. Substitute with crispy tofu (included in recipe) or simply go away it out and add one other vegetable!
Tips on how to make Gado Gado
There’s just a few elements to creating Gado Gado nevertheless it’s very simple:
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Peanut sauce – plonk in saucepan, simmer 5 minutes;
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Greens – blanch greens that want cooking;
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Crispy tempeh or tofu – fry it up final in order that they’re good and crispy, recent out of the skillet;
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Pile up the platter and serve it up!
Prawn Crackers – non-compulsory
Oh – I haven’t talked about prawn crackers but. They’re historically served on the aspect of Gado Gado – terrific crunchy addition that doubles as an consuming vessel.
I really feel like Gado Gado has so many elements to it as is, it’s type of just like the cherry on prime. That’s – I embrace it once I’m making for mates, go away it out when it’s a fast(ish) meal for myself.
Purchase a bag prepared made, fry them up your self (you’ll discover uncooked prawn crackers within the Asian aisle of most massive supermarkets these days) or a fast no-fry microwave popping possibility – simply place 8 to 10 on the sting of a microwave turntable and microwave for 20 to 30 seconds. (Sure actually, it really works 100%).
Tips on how to serve Gado Gado
Gado Gado is a mega salad that’s meant to be served as a predominant course salad. Nevertheless it additionally works superbly as a part of a diffusion for sharing. The recipe as written beneath is for two individuals, however if you happen to add a aspect of Nasi Goreng (Indonesian Fried Rice) or Mee Goreng (Indonesian Noodles) it might simply serve 4.
Should you wished to bulk out the meal with some rice, add a aspect of coconut rice (individuals go bonkers over coconut rice with peanut sauce!).
It travels nicely, being a dish that may be served at room temperature (tempeh apart), and reheats in a short time if you happen to so select (the greens heat rapidly).
However largely, consider Gado Gado as a way to devour numerous greens in a particularly scrumptious kind. I imply, you may blitz up one other inexperienced smoothie that tastes like grass (since you obtained too enthusiastic with the kale, considering nicely if I’m gonna do that, I’ll as nicely load it up), that you simply power your self to drink all of the whereas pinching your nostril.
Or you may do what the Indonesians do – cook dinner up a pile of greens and douse it in peanut sauce.
I’ll take the latter any day. 😉 – Johnsat x
Watch the right way to make it
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup natural peanut butter, smooth or crunchy (your choice) (Note 1)
- 4 tsp red curry paste , store bought (Maesri brand best, Note 2)
- 3 tsp Kecap Manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce, Note 3)
- 1 tsp sambal oelak or other chilli paste (adjust spiciness to taste)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 large garlic clove , pressed using garlic press (~ 3/4 tsp)
- 1 1/2 tbsp lime juice (Note 4)
- 1/2 cup coconut milk , full fat (Ayam brand best)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 bunch spinach , roots trimmed
- 4 cups beansprouts
- 200g / 7 oz potato – small halved, large peeled chopped 2 cm / 1" cubes OR 1.5cm / 1/2" slices
- 1 cucumber , sliced on the diagonal ( or 1/2 long cucumber ie Telegraph/English)
- 2 – 3 boiled eggs , peeled and halved
- 15 prawn crackers , optional (Note 6)
- 2 tbsp vegetable or peanut oil
- 200g / 7 oz tempeh (or firm tofu, Note 7)
- 1 tbsp finely chopped peanuts (highly recommended)
- Red chilli , finely sliced, optional (small = spicy, large = less spicy)
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients in a small saucepan over medium low heat. Bring to simmer then cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly so the bottom doesn't catch, until it thickens. If too thick, just add more water – should be able to drizzle it (see video for thickness).
- Taste and adjust as follows: lime for more sour, salt, sugar for sweet.
- Cover and keep warm.
- Bring a saucepan of water to the boil.
- Add potatoes and cook for 5 minutes or until cooked through. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to colander to drain.
- Cook beansprouts for 3 minutes or until just wilted. Transfer to colander, press out excess water.
- Add spinach, push under to submerge – will instantly wilt. Remove, transfer to colander, press out excess water.
- Slice into 0.75 x 5 cm / 1/3 x 2″ slices (or thereabouts).
- Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Cook tempeh 2 min on each side until deep golden and crispy. (Tofu ~ 1 1/2 min)
- Either make one platter for sharing, or individual. Vegetables and egg can be served warm or at room temp, sauce should be served warm (it thickens when cool).
- Place vegetables and tempeh on serving plate, top with egg.
- Pour sauce into serving bowl.
- Serve Gado Gado Salad with peanut sauce, peanuts for sprinkling, fresh chillies and prawn crackers on the side.
Notes
1. Peanut butter – use natural / pure peanut butter with no added sugar, oil or other additives. It has a more intense peanut flavour so the sauce is tastier. If you use Kraft or another peanut butter spread with sugar etc added, it’s still tasty but:
a) the sauce won’t be as peanutty (and if you add more, sauce will be too thick); andb) skip kecap manis, use dark soy instead, otherwise the peanut sauce will be too sweet.
2. Red Curry Paste – regular readers know I am very loyal to Maesri brand Thai Curry pastes! By far the best available to the general public (here in Australia), and also happens to be the cheapest. Little tins ~$1.50, sold at large Woolworths, Coles, all Harris Farms and Asian stores. I use it for Red, Green and Massaman Curry (also the epic Lamb Shank Massaman from Friday!).
3. Kecap Manis (sometimes called Ketjap Manis) is an Indonesian sweet soy sauce that is thicker than other soy sauces. Sometimes just labelled as “sweet soy sauce”. Consistency resembles maple syrup, available in most supermarkets in Australia (Woolworths, Coles, Harris Farms).
Easy sub for this recipe: 2 tsp dark soy sauce plus 1 tbsp honey.
Also use for Nasi Goreng (Indonesian fried rice), Mie Goreng (noodles), Indonesian Satay Chicken.
4. Lime subs – or 1 tbsp cider vinegar, or 2 tsp white vinegar.
5. Vegetables:
Spinach – hard to measure, I use one whole standard bunch sold at the supermarkets (a big standard bunch). Diameter of the stems of the bunch is around the size of a tennis ball. It will look like a lot but will wilt down about 80% in volume.
Beansprouts – again, hard to measure! Use 2 big handfuls.
Other vegetables – blanched: carrot (diagonal slice), green beans, broccoli/broccolini, cauliflower, asparagus, any Asian greens, cabbage (fairly finely sliced), zucchini, corn, baby corn, kale, silverbeet/Swiss chard, sweet potato, pumpkin.
Raw veg: tomato wedges or cherry tomatoes, radish.
6. Prawn crackers – traditionally served on the side, great crunch factor / to build bites. Either buy them or make (sold in large Aussie grocery stores in Asian section). Make per packet by frying OR make a NO FAT version using the microwave – place 8 to 10 around the edges of turntable, microwave 20 to 30 seconds. They will puff up and be crispy, just like they’re fried!
7. Tempeh – traditional Indonesian ingredient made from fermented soy beans, it’s like really firm tofu except it tastes nutty (sort of like sunflower seeds). Pan fries golden with a beautiful crispy outside. Vegetarians are mad for it! Best served hot out of the skillet – it is very addictive (especially with the peanut sauce!).
Tofu – dust with flour to make crispy. Pat dry, sprinkle with table salt and pepper, then just before cooking, dust lightly with flour.
8. Storage – makes more sauce than you will need (hard to make less), keeps 5 days in the fridge or 3 months in freezer. Use it for a quick veg side salad, or dunking!
Reheating cooked veg – spinach and beansprouts leach water when reheated, so reheat them separately before plating up.
9. Nutrition per serving, assuming half the sauce is used (it’s about 1/3 cup per serve – quite generous!). Most of the calories is in the sauce due to the peanuts, then the oil for cooking the tempeh, then egg and potato. This is a filling serve for a main course!
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