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Gado-gado Jakarta
5 from 183 votes

Gado-gado Jakarta

Gado-gado Jakarta is an Indonesian vegetable salad featuring blanched spinach, bean sprouts, cabbage, green beans, carrot, cucumber, tofu, and boiled eggs served with a richly seasoned peanut sauce. The sauce combines peanuts, palm sugar, tamarind, chili, and sweet soy sauce, producing a thick, slightly sweet and spicy dressing that complements the crisp vegetables.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
30 mins
Servings: 6 portions
Calories: 470 kcal
Course: Lunch
Cuisine: Indonesian

Ingredients

For the peanut sauce
  • 7 ounces peanuts Or fried peanuts. See the note, roasted
  • 4 tablespoons peanut butter
  • 3 tablespoons palm sugar Or dark muscovado sugar and dark brown sugar.
  • 3 teaspoons tamarind paste see the note.
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons sambal terasi see the note, or Sambal Oelek
  • 2 bird’s eye chili see the note, fresh, red
  • ¼ teaspoon dried shrimp paste or 1 tsp of fish sauce - optional
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 3 tablespoons kecap manis sweet soy sauce.
The vegetables and more
  • 4 ounces spinach fresh or frozen.
  • 5 ounces bean sprouts
  • 1 lettuce
  • ½ cabbage small
  • 100 grams green beans
  • 1 carrot large
  • ½ cucumber
  • 200 grams extra-firm tofu
  • 4 egg
For garnish
  • prawn crackers
  • onion optional, fried
  • kecap manis aka sweet soy sauce

Instructions

For the sauce:
    Cup of Yum
  1. Using pestle and mortar, grind the peanuts with chilli, tamarind paste, sugar, salt, and shrimp paste (if using) until the nuts become as smooth as possible. 
  2. Add in lime juice, and water little by little as you mix it. 
  3. Add more water if the sauce is too thick. But do it little by little as you don’t want the sauce to become runny.
  4. You can use the blender or food processor if you wish. Just put everything together and give it a blitz until you get a nice thick peanut sauce with a slightly runny consistency. Your sauce should be as thick as heavy cream (double cream).
For the vegetables:
  1. Have the spinach blanched with hot boiling water for a minute or two, drain and set aside. 
  2. Soak the bean sprouts in hot boiling water for a minute or two, drain and set aside.
  3. Cut the lettuce in thick slices.
  4. Slice the cabbage thinly and boil for about 2-3 minutes until al dente. Drain and set aside.
  5. Cut the green beans into 1-inch lengths, and parboil them. Set aside.
  6. Cut the carrot in julienne sticks and boil them for about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
  7. Boil the eggs, let them cool and slice. Set aside.
  8. Cut potatoes in big cubes and boil until thoroughly cooked. Set aside. 
  9. Cube the tofu and shallow-fry until slightly-light golden.
  10. Slice the cucumber.
  11. Arrange the vegetables on a plate however you like, then pour the peanut sauce generously over the veggies, and sprinkle some fried onions on the top if you use.
  12. Enjoy your gado-gado with prawn crackers.

Notes

  • Frying raw peanuts requires constant stirring to ensure even cooking.
  • To make tamarind paste from a tamarind block, soak in hot water, soften, and strain the juice.
  • Homemade Sambal Terasi or extra chili and shrimp paste can be used to adjust spiciness and flavor.
  • Adjust chili and shrimp paste quantities to taste for heat preference.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1g Calories 470kcal (24%) Carbohydrates 39g (13%) Protein 22g (44%) Fat 28g (43%) Saturated Fat 5g (25%) Polyunsaturated Fat 20g (118%) Cholesterol 125mg (42%) Sodium 1195mg (50%) Fiber 7g (28%) Sugar 23g (46%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6 portions

Amount Per Serving

Calories 470

% Daily Value*

Serving 1g
Calories 470kcal 24%
Carbohydrates 39g 13%
Protein 22g 44%
Fat 28g 43%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Polyunsaturated Fat 20g 118%
Cholesterol 125mg 42%
Sodium 1195mg 50%
Fiber 7g 28%
Sugar 23g 46%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.