Gado-Gado
Gado-gado is a traditional dish in Indonesian cuisine, and compromises of a vegetable salad served with a peanut sauce dressing. Although it is to be eaten as a main meal, many Western countries describe it simply as a salad. It is widely served from hawkers carts, stalls (warung)as well as in restaurants both in Indonesia and worldwide.Gado-gado is part of a wide range of Indonesian sauce & salad combinations; with lotek, pecel and karedok are also popular dressings. In many places, to retain autheniticity in both production and flavour, the peanut sauce is made in individual batches, in front of the customers (see picture on right-hand side). However, since the dish has gained popularity (because of the increase of Asian-themed restaurants) Gado-gado sauce is now mostly made ahead of time and cooked in bulk, although this is probably more common in Western restaurants rather than in Indonesia. Compared to both standard Western salads and Indonesian versions of this dish, Gado-gado has much more sauce in it. Instead of being used as a light dressing, the vegetables should be well coated in the sauce.
Many stores now offer Gado-Gado in dried blocks to which you simply add hot water, making it easier and cheaper to cook at home.
Ingredients
Vegetable Salad
The exact composition of the vegetable salad varies, but usually compromises some form of mixture of
- blanched - shredded, chopped, or sliced green vegetables (such as cabbage, watercress and bean sprouts), young boiled jack fruit, string bean, bitter melon. In some variations,carrot is added;
- uncooked - sliced cucumber and lettuce
- fried tofu and tempeh;
- sliced boiled potatoes;
- peeled and sliced boiled eggs.
- kerupuk and emping (Indonesian style fried crackers, the latter is made from melinjo)
- fried onion
In addition to the vegetables, several kinds of cracker and fried onion are added to give crunchiness to the dish. One of the most important ingredient is Limo lime. Without this lime, Gado-gado will not have the traditional scent.
In Indonesia, Gado-gado is usually served with rice, lontong (rice cake in banana leave wrapped) or ketupat (rice cake in coconut leaf).
Peanut Sauce Dressing
What distinguishes gado-gado from a plain vegetable salad is the peanut sauce dressing, which is poured on top of the vegetable salad before serving. The composition of this peanut sauce varies as well. One may use a commercial Indonesian peanut sauce or satay sauce, or make the sauce oneself. For making the sauce, the common primary ingredients are as follows:
In Indonesia, Gado-gado is usually served with rice, lontong (rice cake in banana leave wrapped) or ketupat (rice cake in coconut leaf).
Peanut Sauce Dressing
What distinguishes gado-gado from a plain vegetable salad is the peanut sauce dressing, which is poured on top of the vegetable salad before serving. The composition of this peanut sauce varies as well. One may use a commercial Indonesian peanut sauce or satay sauce, or make the sauce oneself. For making the sauce, the common primary ingredients are as follows:
- ground fried peanuts (minus the oil)
- coconut sugar/palm sugar (can substitute with brown sugar)
- chillies (according to taste)
- limo lime juice
- terasi (dried shrimp/fish paste)
- tamarind water.
Note the above is for Jakarta style gado-gado. (source)
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