Indonesian · Salad / Main · Testata 11 volte

Gado-Gado — insalata indonesiana con salsa di arachidi

Indonesia's beloved composed salad: blanched vegetables, fried tofu and tempeh, boiled egg and potato, all bathed in a warm, sweet-savoury peanut sauce. 'Gado-gado' means 'mix-mix' — it's endlessly adaptable, vegetarian-friendly, and a complete meal in a bowl.

Di Dewi Pratama · Asia editor · Pubblicata 2026-05-28 · Aggiornata 2026-05-28
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Prep.
30 min
Cottura
20 min
Totale
50 min
Rende
4 servings
Difficoltà
Easy
#indonesian#vegetarian#salad#peanut#meal-prep
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Blanch a mix of vegetables (cabbage, long beans, bean sprouts, spinach) and boil potatoes and eggs. Fry tofu and tempeh until golden. Make a peanut sauce by blending fried peanuts (or natural peanut butter) with garlic, chilli, palm sugar, tamarind, kecap manis and a little salt, thinned with warm water to a pourable cream. Arrange everything on a platter and pour the warm sauce over, then top with fried shallots and crackers.

  • Blanch each vegetable separately just until crisp-tender so colours and textures stay distinct.
  • The sauce should be pourable but coating — thin it with warm water gradually; it thickens as it sits.
  • Balance the peanut sauce across sweet (palm sugar), sour (tamarind), salty (kecap manis) and a little heat.

Equipment

  • Blender or mortar and pestle
  • Large pot
  • Frying pan
  • Slotted spoon

Ingredienti

Peanut sauce

  • 200 g roasted unsalted peanuts, or 180 g natural peanut butter
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 2–4 red chillies, to taste
  • 40 g palm sugar (gula merah), or brown sugar
  • 15 ml tamarind paste, loosened with 2 tbsp water
  • 30 ml kecap manis (sweet soy sauce)
  • 250 ml warm water, more as needed
  • Salt, to taste

Salad

  • 2 medium potatoes, boiled and sliced
  • 4 eggs, hard-boiled and halved
  • 200 g firm tofu, cubed and fried
  • 200 g tempeh, sliced and fried
  • 150 g cabbage, shredded and blanched
  • 150 g long beans or green beans, blanched
  • 150 g bean sprouts, blanched
  • 100 g spinach or water spinach, blanched
  • 1 cucumber, sliced

To serve

  • Fried shallots
  • Prawn crackers (kerupuk) or emping
  • Lontong (compressed rice cake), optional

Preparazione

  1. PASSO
    01

    Boil the potatoes until tender, 15 minutes, then slice. Hard-boil the eggs (8 minutes), cool, peel and halve.

  2. PASSO
    02

    Bring a pot of salted water to the boil. Blanch each vegetable separately just until crisp-tender — cabbage and beans 2 minutes, sprouts and spinach 30–60 seconds — lifting each out with a slotted spoon and refreshing under cold water so they stay bright.

  3. PASSO
    03

    Fry the tofu cubes and tempeh slices in hot oil until golden and crisp on all sides. Drain on paper towels.

  4. PASSO
    04

    Blend (or pound) the peanuts, garlic, chillies, palm sugar, tamarind and kecap manis into a thick paste. Add warm water a little at a time until you have a smooth, pourable sauce. Taste and balance sweet, sour, salty and heat; add salt as needed.

  5. PASSO
    05

    Arrange the vegetables, potato, tofu, tempeh, egg and cucumber on a large platter or in bowls. Pour the warm peanut sauce generously over the top, or serve it alongside. Scatter with fried shallots and tuck crackers around the edge. Serve at once.

Make ahead

The peanut sauce is the make-ahead hero — make it days in advance and reheat gently with a splash of water. Blanch vegetables and fry tofu/tempeh a few hours ahead, then assemble at the table.

Storage

Keep components separate: blanched vegetables and fried tofu/tempeh up to 2 days refrigerated; peanut sauce up to 1 week (it firms up — loosen with warm water). Assemble just before serving so nothing goes soggy.

Variations

Gado-gado Surabaya

Add a little petis (shrimp paste) to the sauce and serve with extra lontong for the East Javanese style.

Vegan

Skip the egg and use vegan crackers — the sauce is already plant-based. Add extra tempeh for protein.

Quick weeknight

Use good natural peanut butter for the sauce and a bag of pre-cut salad and sprouts.

Serve with

Lontong or steamed ricePrawn crackers (kerupuk)Iced sweet tea (es teh)Sambal for extra heat

Nutrition per serving

480 kcal 30 g fat 34 g carbs 22 g protein 12 g sugar 8 g fiber 620 mg sodium
Allergens: Peanuts, Egg, Soy
Diet: Vegetarian

Nutrition values are estimates based on the metric measurements. Adjust as needed.

Domande frequenti

What is gado-gado?

Gado-gado is an Indonesian composed salad of blanched and raw vegetables, fried tofu and tempeh, boiled egg and potato, dressed in a warm peanut sauce. The name means roughly 'mix-mix' — it's a hearty, mostly vegetarian one-plate meal found all over Indonesia.

Can I use peanut butter instead of whole peanuts?

Yes. Natural peanut butter (just peanuts, no added sugar) makes an excellent shortcut sauce. Use about 180 g and blend with the same aromatics, thinning with warm water until pourable.

What's the difference between gado-gado and pecel?

They're close cousins. Pecel (from Java) uses a similar peanut sauce but is typically spicier, often includes kaffir lime leaf, and is served over a tighter set of vegetables. Gado-gado is generally milder and includes potato and egg.

How do I keep the vegetables crisp?

Blanch each vegetable separately and only until crisp-tender, then refresh immediately in cold water and drain well. Dress with the sauce only when serving — sitting in sauce makes them limp.

Is gado-gado healthy?

It's nutrient-dense — lots of vegetables, plant protein from tofu and tempeh, and egg. The peanut sauce is rich, so control the portion of sauce if you're watching calories; the salad itself is light and high in fibre.

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