Blanched Vegetables With Peanut Sauce

Name: Blanched Vegetables With Peanut Sauce
Ingredients: 100 g long bean / French bean, cut into 3 cm length; 150 g waterspinach / spinach, cut into 2 cm length; 5 pc sheets white cabbage / chinese cabbage, cut into 3 cm length; 100 g beansprouts, the brown-ends discarded; 2 pc big-size potatoes, boiled, peeled and sliced; 2 pc hard-boiled eggs, halved or quartered; 200 g tempeh, sliced; 200 g tofu, sliced; 200 g roasted peanut, blended (or Pindakaas); 250 ml thick coconut milk; 3 pc kaffir lime leaves; 1 tsp brown / palm sugar; 2 tbsp tamarind water (1 tsp tamarind pulp soaked in 2 tbsp water); 2 tsp Indonesian sweet soya sauce / kecap manis; 2 pc large red Chillis, de-seeded, chopped; 5 pc shallots, chopped; 3 gloves garlic, chopped; 1 tsp salt

Origin: Jakarta; Source: My best Friend Ipa

Ingredients

100 g long bean / French bean, cut into 3 cm length
150 g waterspinach / spinach, cut into 2 cm length
5 pc sheets white cabbage / chinese cabbage, cut into 3 cm length
100 g beansprouts, the brown-ends discarded
2 pc big-size potatoes, boiled, peeled and sliced
2 pc hard-boiled eggs, halved or quartered
200 g tempeh, sliced
200 g tofu, sliced

For Peanut Sauce

200 g roasted peanut, blended or Pindakaas
250 ml thick coconut milk
3 pc kaffir lime leaves
1 tsp brown / palm sugar
2 tbsp tamarind water (1 tsp tamarind pulp soaked in 2 tbsp water)
2 tsp Indonesian sweet soya sauce / kecap manis

Spice for the peanut sauce

2 pc large red Chillis, de-seeded, chopped
5 pc shallots, chopped
3 gloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp salt

Blanched Vegetables With Peanut Sauce

Gado-Gado is one among the famous Indonesian traditional dishes, listed in 30 Indonesian Culinary Icons which is consisted of cooked vegetables served with a peanut sauce dressing. Although many western people describe it simply as a salad, in Indonesia this dish could be eaten as a main meal. Typical Indonesian ha ha ha ;-). This is true!! Coz I myself eat it often any time at any occasions.

Currently I've seen it often as a part of set menu in various festival and parties. No wonder … Gado Gado with it's richness of vegetables and delicate sauce is looked very attractive and it might be intrigued your stomach's acid

If you like it HOT you can just add chilli sauce or sambal oelek on it.

Anyway in this recipe I describe two choices of ingredient to prepare the peanut sauce. Personally I would say using the raw peanut is the best way to obtain the optimum result. But in case you might be a little bit intimidated by the long list of ingredients, then using the Pindakaas or ready blended roasted peanut as a short cut is the best choice to spare your energy & time. Though it's taste is not perfect as using the raw peanut but it isn't so bad at all. I only suggest you, avoid the instant sauce from the market otherwise you could have ruined your delicate Gado Gado.

Instructions

Boil potatoes and egg until well cooked. Let it cool until cool enough to handle and slice.
For peanut sauce: Put all ingredients for the paste in a blender & blend until smooth.
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a saucepan, stir-fry the paste & kaffir-lime leaves until fragrant. Pour in the coconut milk. Add the tamarind water and brown sugar. Stir to mix and bring to boil.
Add the peanut powder / pindakaas, simmer and stirring occationally until the sauce becomes thick.
Add the Indonesian sweet soya sauce/kecap manis. Stir to mix and remove from heat.
For vegetables: Pour in enough water in a medium-size of saucepan. Bring to boil.
Blanch the vegetables separately and set to drain in a colander.
Attention: Boil the water spinach/ spinach and beansprouts for about 1-2 minutes only to prevent overcooked.
For tempe and tofu: Slice, soak in a salt water & deep-frying until half cooked / well cooked. Set aside to drain.
(Look at "Fried Tempe & Tofu" for detailed instructions.)
Serving Method for Gado-Gado: Arrange the potatoes, tofu, tempeh and egg around the edge of serving plate. Put the vegetables somewhere in the middle of the plate.
Pour the sauce on the top. Garnish with kerupuk udang (shrimp crackers) or emping. Add the "Sambal Bawang" if you like it SPICY!!

Note for the peanut sauce

1st > If using raw peanut: Stir-fry the peanut in a fryingpan until light brown (5 minutes) then blend in a blender into a smooth powder.
2nd > If you prefer a short cut method by using Pindakaas (Dutch peanut butter), you can use it right away.

Endang Lestari

Keyword coconut milk, Gado Gado, tempeh, tofu, vegetable