Gado-Gado
A vibrant Indonesian vegetable salad topped with a rich, spiced peanut sauce. This showcase dish balances crispy fried tofu, tender vegetables, and a silky sauce that makes it a complete, satisfying meal.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Servings
- 2
- Calories
- 520
- Protein
- 22g
Ingredients
- 12 oz firm tofu, pressed and drained
- 1 whole potato, medium
- 2 cups green cabbage, shredded
- 6 oz green beans, fresh
- 1 cup bean sprouts, fresh
- ½ whole cucumber, unpeeled
- 2 whole hard-boiled eggs
- ⅓ cup peanut butter, unsweetened
- ¼ cup coconut milk, unsweetened
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon lime juice, fresh
- 2 whole garlic, clove
- 1 whole red chili, fresh
Instructions
- 1
Fill a medium pot with water, bring to a rolling boil over high heat, and gently place the potato inside; boil until a knife slides through the center with no resistance, about 15 minutes.
- 2
Place the green beans into the same boiling water and cook for 4 minutes until bright green and tender-crisp, then lift them out with a slotted spoon and place on a plate.
- 3
Remove the potato to the same plate and let both cool for 5 minutes until you can touch them comfortably.
- 4
Cut the cooled potato lengthwise into quarters, then slice each quarter lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick sticks, like french fries.
- 5
Slice each green bean on a sharp diagonal into 1-inch pieces to reveal the interior.
- 6
Slice the cucumber crosswise into thin half-moons about 1/8 inch thick by standing it on a cutting board and slicing straight down.
- 7
Cut the pressed tofu block into 4 equal slabs, then cut each slab lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick rectangles, yielding 8 pieces.
- 8
Heat 2 tablespoons of neutral oil in a 12-inch nonstick or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers and moves quickly when you tilt the pan, about 1 minute.
- 9
Carefully slide all tofu rectangles into the hot oil in a single layer; you'll hear an immediate sizzle — do not move them yet.
- 10
Cook without touching for 3 minutes until the bottoms turn golden brown and the surface looks crispy.
- 11
Using a thin spatula, flip each piece carefully and cook the other side for another 3 minutes until golden brown; transfer to a clean plate.
- 12
Mince the garlic cloves until the pieces are smaller than a grain of rice, about pencil-tip size.
- 13
Slice the red chili lengthwise in half, scrape out and discard the seeds with a spoon, then mince the flesh as finely as the garlic.
- 14
In a small bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, coconut milk, soy sauce, and lime juice using a fork until smooth with no lumps, about 1 minute.
- 15
Stir the minced garlic and minced chili into the peanut mixture and let sit for 2 minutes so the flavors blend.
- 16
Arrange the shredded cabbage on the center of a large serving plate, creating a bed about 1 inch thick.
- 17
Scatter the cooled potato sticks, green bean pieces, bean sprouts, and cucumber slices over the cabbage in separate piles.
- 18
Lay the crispy tofu pieces in a line across the top of the vegetables.
- 19
Peel and halve the hard-boiled eggs, then place them in a small mound on the side of the plate.
- 20
Pour the peanut sauce over the entire salad, starting from the center and letting it pool and drip down the sides.
Tools you’ll need
- medium pot
- slotted spoon
- cutting board
- chef's knife
- 12-inch nonstick or cast iron skillet
- thin metal spatula
- small bowl
- fork or whisk
- large serving plate
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