Gado-gado
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gado-gado is a traditional dish in Indonesian cuisine, and comprises a vegetable salad served with a peanut sauce dressing. It is widely served in hotels and restaurants in Indonesia, and in Indonesian restaurants in other countries.
Contents |
[edit] Ingredients
[edit] Vegetable salad
The exact composition of the vegetable salad varies, but usually comprises some mixture of
- shredded or chopped green vegetables such as cabbage, cauliflower, green beans, watercress, and bean sprouts;
- other sliced vegetables such as carrots and cucumber;
- long bean;
- tomatoes;
- tofu;
- tempeh;
- sliced boiled potatoes; and
- peeled and sliced boiled eggs.
With the exceptions of the eggs and the potatoes, the salad may be served raw, although optionally one may blanch some of the vegetables such as the cabbage and the cauliflower. Some cooks prefer to steam the vegetables. In some areas of Indonesia, they also mix in small amounts of cooked noodles.
[edit] Peanut sauce dressing
What distinguishes gado-gado from a plain vegetable salad is the peanut sauce dressing, which is poured on top of the vegetable salad before serving. The composition of this peanut sauce varies as well. One may use a commercial Indonesian peanut sauce or satay sauce, or make the sauce oneself. For making the sauce, the common primary ingredients are:
- ground fried peanuts with most of the oil drained off
- garlic
- coconut sugar/palm sugar (can substitute brown sugar)
- red chili sauce, cayenne pepper, or red curry powder
- lemon or lime juice
optional extras include:
- terasi (dried shrimp/fish paste)
- Indonesian sweet soy sauce
[edit] Further reading
- Sri Owen (1995). Indonesian Regional Cooking. St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0-312-11832-5.
- Jay Harlow (1987). Southeast Asian Cooking. Chevron Chemical Company. ISBN 0-89721-098-0.
