Entree: Cocos (Keeling) Islands – Gado-Gado (Indonesian-style mixed cooked vegetables, tofu, tempeh and eggs served with a savory peanut sauce and rice or lontong)

Serving Size: 4

Approximate Time

Prep 30 min

Cook 25 min

Additional 10 min

Total 50 min

Ingredients

Vegetables & proteins
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled and halved, about 12 oz (340 g) total
- 8 oz (225 g) green beans, trimmed
- 2 cups (150 g) shredded cabbage
- 2 cups (200 g) bean sprouts
- 8 oz (225 g) firm tofu, drained and cut into 8 cubes
- 8 oz (225 g) tempeh, sliced into 1/4-inch (6 mm) pieces
- 4 large eggs, approx. 50 g each (200 g total), hard-boiled and halved
- 2 cups (400 g) steamed rice or lontong (rice cakes), for serving
- 1 small cucumber, sliced for garnish
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) vegetable oil for frying tofu and tempeh

Peanut sauce
- 1 1/2 cups (210 g) roasted peanuts, unsalted
- 2 cloves (about 10 g) garlic
- 2–3 red chilies or 1–2 red bird's eye chilies (adjust for heat)
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) kecap manis (sweet soy sauce)
- 2 tbsp (30 g) palm sugar or brown sugar, packed
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) tamarind water or 2 tbsp (30 ml) lime juice
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) coconut milk or warm water to thin sauce
- 1 tsp (5 g) salt, adjust to taste

Garnish (optional)
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) fried shallots
- 2 tbsp (30 g) crushed roasted peanuts

Instructions

1. Cook potatoes in boiling water until just tender, about 10–12 minutes. Drain and keep warm. Hard-boil eggs 8–10 minutes, cool, peel and halve.
2. Blanch green beans 2–3 minutes in boiling salted water until bright green and crisp-tender; remove with slotted spoon. Blanch cabbage 30–60 seconds and bean sprouts 15–30 seconds. Shock all in ice water briefly to stop cooking, then drain.
3. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a skillet and fry tofu cubes and tempeh slices until golden and crisp on both sides, about 3–5 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.
4. Make the peanut sauce: in a food processor or with mortar and pestle, grind roasted peanuts with garlic and chilies until coarse. Transfer to a small saucepan, add kecap manis, palm sugar, tamarind water or lime juice and coconut milk (or warm water). Simmer gently, stirring, 3–5 minutes until thickened. Season with salt and adjust sweetness, acidity or heat as needed. If sauce is too thick, add a little water to reach a smooth, pourable consistency.
5. To assemble, arrange potatoes, blanched green beans, cabbage, bean sprouts, fried tofu, tempeh and halved eggs on a large platter or individual plates. Spoon generous amounts of warm peanut sauce over the vegetables and proteins. Garnish with fried shallots and crushed peanuts.
6. Serve with steamed rice or slices of lontong at the side. Mix just before eating so the peanut sauce coats the ingredients.