Gado Gado

An Indonesian sauce of peanuts and fresh ginger served with fresh vegetables and tofu, tempeh or rice.

When I was 7 or 8 years old, my parents helped to bring over a family from Holland that had been displaced from Indonesia after the 2^nd World War. Fay and Ernest Klerks and their 2 children became a part of our family. Myra loved learning about the different foods. Fay got someone to mail her lemon grass from California and found a place to buy Kikkoman soy sauce (in Cincinnati! In the 1960s!). She taught us how to make soups and noodles and rice dishes that that I still make today!

This Gado Gado recipe is in honor of Fay Klerks, for teaching us how to make food from another part of the world. To celebrate with food from other parts of the world. Pictured here with me at my wedding, are Fay & Ernest. It was Fay who gave us the inspiration for this Gado Gado recipe.

Myra served Gado Gado with brown rice, tomatoes, cucumbers, raisins and sunflower seeds. I would put baked tofu on the plate as well. (The more traditional addition would be tempeh, an Indonesian food made from fermented soybeans). You can serve this dish with potatoes, hard boiled eggs, steamed green beans, bean sprouts, or your favorite veggies of the season. Fay would tell you to make fried rice, instead of plain rice,called nasi goreng. In other words, fried rice with pieces of meat and vegetables.

Gado Gado is one of the more popular recipe requests from Myra’s fans and I’m so excited to share the recipe with you all!

Gado Gado

An Indonesian sauce of peanuts and fresh ginger served with fresh vegetables and tofu, tempeh or rice

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Course Entrees and Favorite Rice Combinations, Main Course

Cuisine Indonesian

Servings 3.5 cups of sauce

Equipment

• 1 sauce pan
• 1 food processor
• 1 sharp knife and cutting board

Ingredients

  

• 2 TBS vegetable oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced fine
• 1/4 cup fresh ginger, sliced across the grain and minced fine
• 1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 cups water
• 1/4 cup lemon juice bottled juice is fine
• 1/2 tsp red pepper (I use cayenne)
• 1 TBLS Sriracha sauce
• 3 TBLS soy sauce
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 1 TBLS balsamic vinegar
• 1 cup Peanut Butter I used crunchy, but Myra used smooth PB

Instructions

 

• Process the garlic and ginger until very fine, or mince with your knife
• Add the onions to the food processor and chop fine, but not mushy (3 or 4 pulses).
• Sauté the garlic, ginger and onions on medium heat in the oil until soft. Two or 3 minutes. Do not let the garlic brown.
• Add the water, bay leaves, lemon juice, soy sauce, vinegars and peppers. (Everything but the peanut butter). Bring to a boil, cover and simmer slowly for 15 minutes.
• Turn off the heat and add the peanut butter- do not cook any more. Stir in the peanut butter until you have a nice thick sauce.

Notes

Myra’s directions suggest that you taste the Gado Gado sauce, and see if you want to add more peanut butter or vinegar. I did not cover the sauce while it simmered and I thought it cooked down just right.

For each plate: Put 1 1/2 cups cooked rice on a plate and make a well in the center. Fill the well with a half cup of Gado Gado. Ring the sauce with piles of tomatoes and cucumbers. Sprinkle 1 TBLS of raisins and 1 TBLS of sunflower seeds on top.

Feel free to add  tofu, tempeh or any of your favorite veggies, fresh or steamed.

Keyword Indonesian, peanuts, ginger,spicy