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Gado Gado (Indonesian Salad with Peanut Dressing)

Published on July 30, 2026
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Gado Gado (Indonesian Salad with Peanut Dressing)
Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 4 Servings

Ingredients

  • 2 fresh Thai or small bird’s eye chilies
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 8 ounces roasted unsalted peanuts (about 1 1/2 cups)
  • 2 tablespoons kecap manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce)
  • 1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon fish sauce
  • 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3/4 cup water, plus more as needed
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1/4 medium green cabbage (about 10 ounces)
  • 4 ounces green beans
  • 1 medium chayote (about 8 ounces)
  • 8 ounces bean sprouts (about 4 cups)
  • 1 pound bunched spinach (not baby)
  • 8 ounces drained firm tofu
  • 8 ounces tempeh
  • 2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as vegetable or canola, divided
  • 2 medium roma tomatoes
  • 3 Persian cucumbers
  • 1 medium lime
  • Fried shrimp chips (cooked according to package directions if needed), for serving
  • Fried shallots, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Make the sauce:
  2. Trim the stems from 2 fresh Thai or small bird’s eye chilies. Roughly cut the chilies in half. Place the chilies and 3 peeled garlic cloves in the food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Pulse until garlic cloves and peppers are coarsely chopped and combined, about 8 (1-second) pulses.
  3. Add 8 ounces roasted unsalted peanuts and pulse until ground, about 25 (1-second) pulses. Add 2 tablespoons kecap manis, 1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar, 1 teaspoon fish sauce, 1 teaspoon rice vinegar, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Pulse until combined, about 15 (1-second) pulses.
  4. Measure out 3/4 cup water. Add about half to the food processor and pulse until combined, about 15 (1-second) pulses. While pulsing, pour in the remaining water and continue pulsing until combined and pourable but not too thin. Pulse in more water 1 tablespoon at a time to thin out if too thick. You should have about 2 cups.
  5. Make the vegetables:
  6. Place 4 large eggs in a large saucepan and add enough cold water to fill the saucepan about three-quarters full. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Cover and let the eggs sit for 10 minutes.
  7. Meanwhile, make an ice water bath by filling a medium bowl halfway full with ice and cold water. Core and slice 1/4 medium green cabbage into 1/2-inch wide shreds (about 5 cups). Trim the stem ends from 4 ounces green beans. Cut 1 medium chayote into 1/2-inch chunks (no need to peel). Line a baking sheet with paper towels.
  8. When the eggs are ready, use a slotted spoon to transfer the eggs to the ice water bath.
  9. Return the water in the saucepan to a boil. Blanch the vegetables one at a time in the boiling water in the following order, transferring each one with a slotted spoon to the baking sheet when cooked and returning the water to a boil in between each:
  10. Cook the cabbage until tender, about 2 minutes.
  11. Cook the green beans until crisp tender and bright green, 1 to 2 minutes.
  12. Cook 8 ounces of bean sprouts until tender, about 1 minutes.
  13. Cook the chayote until fork tender, 4 to 5 minutes.
  14. Cook 1 pound spinach until tender and wilted and tender, about 2 minutes.
  15. Cut 8 ounces tempeh into 1-inch-long triangles that are about 1/4-inch thick. Cut 8 ounces firm tofu into 1-inch cubes.
  16. Heat 1 tablespoon of the neutral oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the tempeh and cook until golden brown and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
  17. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of neutral oil to the pan. Add the tofu and cook until golden brown and crisp on at least 2 sides, 4 to 5 minutes total. Transfer to the plate with the tempeh.
  18. Cut 2 medium roma tomatoes into 8 wedges each. Cut 3 Persian cucumbers crosswise into 1/2-inch thick rounds. Cut 1 medium lime into wedges. Remove the eggs from the ice water bath, peel, and halve lengthwise.
  19. Arrange all the vegetables, eggs, tempeh, and tofu on a platter or wide shallow bowl. Drizzle with about 1/4 cup of the sauce. Garnish with fried shallots. Serve with the lime wedges, fried shrimp chips, and the remaining sauce.

Recipe Stats

  • Jul 30, 2026
  • Prep: 30 mins
  • Cook: 30 mins
  • Servings: 4 Servings
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