If there’s one dish that perfectly captures the vibrant spirit of Indonesian cuisine, it’s Gado-Gado. This isn’t your typical salad; it’s a symphony of textures and flavours that transforms humble vegetables into something extraordinary. Crisp-blanched greens, golden-fried tofu, jammy eggs, and crunchy peanuts are all brought together by the most incredible peanut sauce you’ll ever taste.
The name literally means “mix-mix” in Indonesian, which makes this dish so brilliant. Every bite offers a different combination. Sometimes, you get the cool crunch of cucumber with spicy sauce; other times, you get the creamy richness of egg yolk mixed with crispy tempeh. It’s interactive, customisable, and utterly satisfying.
But here’s the thing: most Gado-Gado recipes you’ll find online are watered-down versions that miss the mark entirely. This recipe is different. We’re talking about authentic Indonesian flavours, a sauce made with proper ingredients like kencur and terasi, vegetables blanched to perfection, and a crucial understanding of how to balance every element on the plate.
Let’s learn how to make proper Gado-Gado at home, the kind that will make your Indonesian friends nod in approval.
Let’s clear this up right away: Gado-Gado isn’t just “Indonesian salad with peanut sauce.” It’s Indonesia’s answer to the perfect balanced meal, and it’s been perfected over generations.
At its heart, Gado-Gado is about harmony. You’ve got your blanched vegetables providing freshness and bite, your proteins adding substance, your raw elements offering cooling contrast, and that glorious peanut sauce tying everything together with its complex blend of sweet, sour, spicy, and deeply savoury notes.
The Vegetables: A mix of blanched and raw vegetables, each chosen for specific textures and flavours
The Proteins: Typically fried tofu, tempeh, and hard-boiled eggs
The Sauce: A complex peanut sauce that balances sweet (palm sugar), sour (tamarind), spicy (chillies), and umami (shrimp paste)
The Garnishes: Krupuk (prawn crackers), fried shallots, and fresh herbs
What makes Gado-Gado special is that it’s not a rigid recipe; it’s a concept. The beauty lies in how each element complements the others, creating a dish that’s both satisfying and refreshing, rich yet light.
Making proper Gado-Gado starts with understanding your ingredients. This isn’t about throwing vegetables together with shop-bought peanut sauce; it’s about creating layers of flavour and texture that work in perfect harmony.
This is where the magic happens. A proper Gado-Gado sauce is a masterclass in balance, simultaneously hitting sweet, sour, spicy, and umami notes.
Peanuts: Use raw, unsalted peanuts for the best flavour. You’ll toast these yourself to control the depth of nuttiness.
Kencur (Lesser Galangal): is the secret ingredient that separates authentic versions from Western adaptations. It has a peppery, slightly medicinal flavour that’s absolutely essential. If you can’t find fresh kencur, dried powder works, but avoid substituting regular ginger; the flavour profile is completely different.
Terasi (Shrimp Paste): This fermented paste adds incredible umami depth. Toast it briefly in a dry pan before using it to mellow its intensity. For vegans, substitute with fermented black bean paste, miso, and mushroom powder.
Tamarind: Provides the crucial sour note that balances the richness. Tamarind paste is easier to work with than whole pods, but make sure it’s pure tamarind without added sugar.
Gula Melaka (Palm Sugar): The caramel notes of palm sugar are superior to regular brown sugar, but if you can’t find it, dark brown sugar with a touch of molasses works.
Chillies: Indonesian bird’s eye chillies are traditional, but you can adjust the heat to your preference. The key is using chillies that add flavour, not just heat.
Vegetable selection follows a specific logic: You want a mix of textures and flavours that complement rather than compete.
Blanched Vegetables: Long beans, cabbage, bean sprouts, and spinach form the foundation. These should be cooked just until tender but still with a bite.
Starchy Elements: Boiled potatoes add substance and help absorb the sauce.
Raw Elements: Cucumber and lettuce provide a cooling contrast and fresh crunch.
Tofu: Extra-firm tofu, pressed and fried until golden and crispy outside, creamy inside.
Tempeh: Indonesia’s fermented soybean cake, with its nutty flavour and firm texture.
Eggs: Hard-boiled or soft-boiled, depending on preference. The creamy yolk helps mellow the sauce’s intensity.
Krupuk: Indonesian prawn crackers that puff up when fried, adding textural interest and subtle seafood flavour.
Fried Shallots: Adds a sweet, crispy contrast.
Fresh Herbs: Typically, Indonesian basil or regular basil for aromatic freshness.
The key to perfecting Gado-Gado is sequencing. Start with the sauce (it improves as it sits), then tackle the components systematically. Everything can be prepared ahead of time except the final assembly.
Begin by toasting your raw peanuts in a dry pan until fragrant and lightly golden. This step is crucial; it develops the nutty depth that makes the sauce special. Let them cool completely before proceeding.
Next, prepare your spice paste. If using fresh kencur, peel and chop it roughly. Toast the terasi in a dry pan for about 30 seconds until aromatic; this mellows its intensity and brings out its umami qualities.
Grind the toasted peanuts using a food processor or high-powered blender until they form a paste. Add your soaked and deseeded chillies, shallots, garlic, kencur, and toasted terasi. Process until smooth, adding a splash of water to get the blades moving.
Heat oil in a pan, and don’t be stingy with it. Add your spice paste and cook slowly, stirring regularly, until the oil separates from the paste and turns darker and glossier. This is the pecah minyak stage, which gives the sauce its proper depth.
Add tamarind paste, palm sugar, and salt. Continue cooking until the sauce, like double cream, reaches a thick but pourable consistency. Taste and adjust the balance of sweet, sour, and spicy. The sauce should be complex and well-rounded, not one-dimensional.
Fill a large bowl with ice water. This is your ice bath for shocking the vegetables after blanching. Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil.
Working in batches, blanch each vegetable according to its cooking time:
Immediately transfer each batch to the ice bath to stop the cooking process. This preserves the vibrant colours and prevents overcooking. Drain thoroughly and pat dry before assembling.
Tofu should be pressed between paper towels for 30 minutes to remove excess moisture. Cut into cubes and fry in hot oil until golden and crispy on all sides. The key is getting the oil hot enough that the tofu sizzles immediately when it hits the pan.
If using tempeh, slice it into strips and steam for 10 minutes first to mellow its flavour, then fry until golden and crispy.
For the eggs, bring water to a rolling boil, gently add the eggs, and cook for exactly 7 minutes for jammy yolks or 10 minutes for fully set. Immediately transfer to ice water to stop cooking.
Fry the krupuk in hot oil; they’ll puff up dramatically and should be golden and crispy. Drain on paper towels.
For the fried shallots, slice them thinly and fry in oil until golden and crispy. They’ll continue cooking slightly after removal, so err on the side of underdone.
This is where Gado-Gado becomes art. Arrange all components on a large platter in distinct sections. This isn’t a tossed salad but a composed dish. Place the sauce in a bowl alongside, or drizzle it artfully over the arranged ingredients.
The traditional way is to let diners compose their own plates, choosing their preferred balance of ingredients. Provide serving spoons and let everyone build their perfect bite.
Gado-Gado is brilliantly versatile; it can be used as a light lunch, a substantial dinner, or even an impressive starter for a dinner party. The key is understanding how to present it for maximum impact.
If you can find them, banana leaves make the most authentic and stunning presentation. The natural oils in the leaves add a subtle herbal note to the dish, and the visual impact is incredible. Rinse the leaves and pass them briefly over an open flame to make them pliable.
Traditional Gado-Gado is often served with lontong, compressed rice cakes that soak up the sauce beautifully. If you can’t find lontong, steamed jasmine rice works well, or even rice crackers for added crunch.
Turn Gado-Gado into the centrepiece of an Indonesian feast. Serve alongside other dishes like beef rendang, chicken satay, or nasi goreng. The fresh, cooling elements of Gado-Gado provide the perfect contrast to richer, spicier dishes.
Gado-Gado is ideal for entertaining because most components can be prepared ahead of time. Set up a DIY Gado-Gado bar with all the components in separate bowls, and let guests build their own plates. It’s interactive, customisable, and always a conversation starter.
Getting Gado-Gado right is about understanding the fundamentals and paying attention to detail. These tips will help you avoid common pitfalls and create a dish that truly sings.
The ice bath isn’t optional. It’s what gives you vegetables that are tender but still have bite, with vibrant colours. Skip this step, and you’ll end up with dull, overcooked vegetables that won’t do justice to your efforts.
Pre-toasted peanuts might seem convenient, but they often lack the depth of flavour you get from toasting raw peanuts yourself. Plus, you can control the level of toasting to suit your taste.
The sauce should be thick enough to coat the vegetables but not so thick that it’s gluey. Think double cream rather than peanut butter. If it’s too thick, thin it with a little warm water. If it’s too thin, cook it a bit longer to reduce it.
Gado-Gado sauce should be a harmonious balance of sweet, sour, spicy, and umami. Taste as you go and adjust accordingly. Remember, the sauce is what ties everything together, so it needs to be perfect.
Store all components separately until you’re ready to serve. This preserves textures and prevents everything from becoming soggy. The sauce actually improves in flavour as it sits, so it can be made a day ahead.
Since Gado-Gado is about showcasing simple ingredients and quality matters, use the freshest vegetables you can find, use good-quality tofu, and seek out authentic Indonesian ingredients where possible.
This is the definitive Gado-Gado recipe that delivers authentic Indonesian flavours without compromise. We’ve tested every element, from the perfect blanching times to the ideal sauce consistency, to ensure you get restaurant-quality results at home. The sauce strikes that elusive balance of sweet, sour, spicy, and umami, making proper Gado-Gado addictive. At the same time, the components are prepared using traditional techniques that preserve their characters. It’s not the quickest recipe you’ll make, but every minute is worth it for the incredible depth of flavour you’ll achieve.
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Serves: 4-6
Gado-Gado is more than just a recipe. It’s a philosophy of cooking that celebrates balance, freshness, and the joy of sharing food. From the complex, aromatic peanut sauce to the perfectly blanched vegetables and crispy garnishes, every element serves a purpose in creating this masterpiece of Indonesian cuisine. The beauty lies in the individual components and how they work together to create something far greater than the sum of their parts.
Master this authentic version, and you’ll have a dish that’s endlessly adaptable, impressive enough for entertaining, yet comforting enough for a quiet weeknight dinner. Whether you’re exploring Indonesian flavours for the first time or trying to recreate memories of travels through Southeast Asia, this Gado-Gado will transport you straight to the bustling warungs of Indonesia, where no passport is required.
Absolutely. The sauce actually improves in flavour over time and can be made up to 3 days ahead. Blanched vegetables can be prepared on the morning of serving. Only fry the garnishes and assemble just before serving to maintain textures.
While kencur is traditional and irreplaceable, you can substitute it with a combination of fresh ginger and white pepper. The flavour will not be quite the same, but it will still be delicious.
Simply omit the eggs and substitute the terasi (shrimp paste) with fermented black bean paste, miso, and mushroom powder. The result is still incredibly flavourful.
You can, but it won’t compare to homemade. If you must use store-bought, enhance it with fresh tamarind paste, palm sugar, and chilli to improve the flavour balance.
The heat level varies, but it’s typically moderately spicy with a building warmth rather than aggressive heat. The creamy peanut base helps temper the chillies, making it accessible to most palates.
Store the sauce and components separately in airtight containers in the fridge. The sauce keeps for up to a week, while blanched vegetables are best consumed within 2-3 days. Never store the assembled dish; the vegetables will become soggy and unappetising.
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