Mmmmmm, Gado Gado, sounds slightly naughty. It's not, but it's oh so tasty and is one of my favorite dishes. I love it for its wide variety of sensations on my palate, that it's refreshing and not too heavy. Gado gado is a great dish that I learned from my aunt Marianne. She, along with her
family, lived for many years in Indonesia
as missionaries. She picked up how to prepare and make many of the local
dishes.
This was when I was pretty young. I do always remember though that it was a family dish. It really brought everyone together. And it had such different flavors than I was used to. My young culinary palate was just starting to get tickled. My aunt served this dish to us many times and it was always wonderful. It’s an Indonesian vegetable dish topped with Sambal Kacang, a spicy peanut sauce.
This was when I was pretty young. I do always remember though that it was a family dish. It really brought everyone together. And it had such different flavors than I was used to. My young culinary palate was just starting to get tickled. My aunt served this dish to us many times and it was always wonderful. It’s an Indonesian vegetable dish topped with Sambal Kacang, a spicy peanut sauce.
This
is a fun dish to put together and great for a crowd as well as for solo dining.
I have changed the recipe a bit to fit my tastes, but I must pay homage to the
roots of the dish in my family.
And
for those of you with a peanut allergy, try substituting in another nut or seed butter such as almond, soy,
sunflower, etc. You can also use the spicy peanut sauce as a satay dipping
sauce for grilled chicken, shrimp or tofu. That makes an excellent appetizer.
So,
go ahead and enjoy a little Indonesian
cuisine tonight--you’ll thank me for sure. Gado Gado is a simple and
tasty dish that can be enjoyed alone or shared with friends.
Gado Gado with Sambal Kacang (Spicy
Peanut Sauce)
2
T sesame seed oil
1
t garlic, finely chopped
1
t ginger, finely chopped
1
c natural peanut butter, creamy
¼
c coconut milk
juice
of 2 limes
¼
c water, or as needed
3
T Kecap Manis (sweet soy sauce)*
1
t dried red chili peppers
Salt
to taste (if needed)
1 - Heat sauté pan with the oil.
1 - Heat sauté pan with the oil.
2 - Saute ginger and garlic
for 1-2 over medium-low heat till softened.
3 - Add in the rest of the
ingredients and stir over low heat till well combined.
4 - Put in food processor or
blender and blend till smooth.
5 - Serve warm
Serve
the spicy peanut sauce on top of vegetables and other food of your choice. Some
are cooked and cooled and others are served raw. Cut them up and arrange on a
platter and serve the spicy peanut sauce drizzled on top or on the side. Here
is a list of ones I use for mine (but you can use whatever vegetables you
like).
Hard-boiled
eggs and/or grilled tofu
Boiled
peeled potatoes
Blanched green beans
Blanched green beans
Steamed
cabbage
Steamed
spinach
Fresh
bean sprouts
Fresh
carrots
Fresh
cucumbers
Fresh
red onions
*Kechap
Manis is a thick sweet soy sauce. You can sometimes find it at your grocery
stores, but definitely at Asian markets. If you can’t find it at all, you can
also use a combination of soy sauce and dark molasses as a substitution.
Recipe
guide:
T=
Tablespoons
t=
teaspoons
c=
cup/s
Hope
you like the little slide show of my Gado Gado experience that I have posted
here. Do you have a favorite dish that maybe is a little out of the ordinary
that you remember from childhood? If so, please share. I’d love to hear about
it. There is nothing better than great food stories to warm the heart and the belly.