Indonesian gado-gado with peanut sauce
Gado-gado is one of Indonesia's most famous dishes, and its name literally means "mix mix" in reference to combining the boiled vegetables with the tofu, tempeh, and peanut sauce.
It is traditionally served as a standalone lunch meal, with its ingredients tossed while eating until they're coated in the sauce. The version here is purely plant-based: we left out the shrimp paste and boiled egg that some traditional versions use, and kept to a fully plant-based peanut sauce.
Pat the tofu cubes dry with a paper towel, heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, then fry the tofu cubes and tempeh (fermented soybeans) cubes until golden and crisp on all sides. Lift them onto paper towel to absorb the oil.
Wash the green beans, spinach, and bean sprouts. Bring salted water to a boil and blanch the green beans for three minutes, then add the bean sprouts and spinach for just one minute until they wilt and keep their color. Drain them immediately under cold water to preserve their crunch and color.
In a bowl, mix the peanut butter with the minced garlic, hot red pepper, dark soy sauce, date syrup, and tamarind paste. Add the warm water gradually and stir until the sauce becomes smooth and pourable. Taste and adjust the salt, sweetness, and acidity to your liking.
Arrange the boiled potato, green beans, spinach, bean sprouts, cucumber slices, and tomato in a wide dish, and scatter the fried tofu and tempeh cubes over them.
Pour the peanut sauce generously over the vegetables and garnish with the crispy fried onions. Serve gado-gado right away and toss its ingredients while eating; it can be served with cooked rice.
The glycemic index (GI) measures how quickly a food raises blood sugar, while the glycemic load (GL) measures how much a full serving raises it. Together they give the complete picture.
A low value (≤55) means a gradual rise in blood sugar — the most suitable range for diabetes and insulin resistance.
Glycemic load reflects the impact of the full serving. To lower it: take half a serving, or pair the recipe with a source of protein and fiber.
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet per FDA food-label reference values — your daily needs may be higher or lower. Values are derived from the recipe's ingredients via the USDA database.
The most common problems when preparing Indonesian Gado-Gado with Peanut Sauce, and how to fix them:
Peanut butter varies in thickness. Add the warm water spoonful by spoonful while stirring until it reaches the desired pourable consistency.
Moisture is the cause. Squeeze and dry the tofu well before frying, and let the cubes brown without stirring much so a crust forms.
They were over-blanched. Blanch each type for only the time given, then drain immediately under cold water to stop the cooking and set the color.
This is normal in some types. Boiling the tempeh for two minutes before frying eases the bitterness, or choose fresh tempeh that isn't dark.
Serve right away to keep the vegetables crisp and the tofu crunchy.
Keep the components and sauce separate for up to two days, and combine at serving time. The sauce may thicken in the cold, so thin it with a little warm water.
Not suitable for freezing because the boiled vegetables and bean sprouts lose their texture.
| Original Ingredient | Tested Substitute | Ratio | Flavor Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tempeh | Extra tofu or boiled edamame | 1:1 | An available soy substitute for those who can't find tempeh, with the protein staying high |
| Peanut butter | Almond butter | 1:1 | For those avoiding peanuts, but it shifts the allergen to tree nuts |
| Date syrup | Maple syrup | 1:1 | Both are plant-based sweeteners that replace the traditional brown sugar |
| Tamarind paste | Lemon juice | 15 g for a spoonful of juice | Gives the same acidity if tamarind isn't available |
| Potato | Cooked rice cubes | ~ | Close to the traditional Indonesian lontong (rice cake) |
| Ingredient | 3 servings | 1.5 servings | 6 servings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tofu | 250 g | 125 g | 500 g |
| Tempeh | 200 g | 100 g | 400 g |
| Peanut butter | 150 g | 75 g | 300 g |
Tempeh is one of the fermented soy foods, and fermentation makes its protein and minerals easier to digest and absorb. And although some fermented foods may contain a trace of vitamin B12, the reliable plant-based source of this vitamin remains fortified foods or supplements, since plants don't produce B12 naturally.
The EEINA app saves your favorite recipes, calculates them from their real ingredients, and shows your daily numbers toward your goal. Try it free now.
