Gado-Gado Indonesian Salad with Creamy Peanut Sauce
Gado Gado
Gado-gado is one of those dishes that feels like a warm hug from Indonesia — a lively mix of blanched vegetables, tender potatoes, pan-fried tofu and boiled eggs, all brought together by a slightly sweet, spicy and deeply nutty peanut sauce. It’s wonderfully flexible: bright, fresh vegetables meet rich, creamy dressing for a satisfying contrast of textures and flavors.
I love making it when friends come over because it’s colorful, easy to scale and everyone can pick their favorite components. The peanut sauce does the heavy lifting here — make a little extra, because it’s addictive on rice, steamed greens or even as a dip for raw veggies.
Ingredients
- 1 lb Small new potatoes, scrubbed
- 8 oz Green beans, trimmed
- 2 cups Shredded cabbage
- 2 cups Bean sprouts
- 1 piece Cucumber, sliced
- 14 oz Firm tofu, drained and cubed
- 4 pieces Hard-boiled eggs, halved
- 3/4 cup Creamy peanut butter (smooth)
- 1/3 cup Coconut milk
- 2 tbsp Sweet soy sauce (kecap manis)
- 2 tbsp Fresh lime juice
- 1 tbsp Brown sugar
- 2 pieces Garlic cloves, minced
- 1 piece Red chili or jalapeño, seeded and chopped
- 2 tbsp Vegetable oil (for frying tofu)
- 1/4 cup Water (to thin sauce)
- 1/4 cup Fried shallots (optional garnish)
- 1 tsp Salt
Instructions
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Boil the potatoes whole in salted water until fork-tender, about 12-15 minutes; drain, cool slightly and cut into bite-sized pieces.
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Trim the green beans and blanch them in boiling water for 2-3 minutes until bright green and crisp-tender; plunge into ice water to stop cooking. Do the same for shredded cabbage and bean sprouts if you prefer them slightly softened.
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Pat the tofu dry, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, and pan-fry in 2 tbsp oil over medium-high heat until golden on all sides, about 6-8 minutes; season lightly with salt and set aside.
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Make the peanut sauce: in a blender or food processor combine peanut butter, coconut milk, sweet soy sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, minced garlic, chopped chili and 1/4 cup water. Blend until smooth; add more water to reach a pourable but thick consistency. Taste and adjust salt, lime or sweet soy for balance.
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Place potatoes, green beans, cabbage, bean sprouts, cucumber and tofu on a large platter or divide among shallow bowls. Nestle halved hard-boiled eggs around the vegetables.
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Drizzle 3/4 of the peanut sauce over the assembled salad and serve the rest on the side for guests who want extra. Top with fried shallots and an extra squeeze of lime.
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To serve family-style, let guests spoon additional sauce and kecap manis over their portions, and offer steamed rice or rice cakes (lontong) if desired.
Tips & Notes
- Make the peanut sauce ahead — flavors deepen after an hour and it stores well in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- For a lighter version, use less oil for the tofu and swap half the peanut butter for plain almond butter.
- Balance the sauce by tasting for sweet, salty and tangy notes — add more lime for brightness or more sweet soy for depth.
- If you can find kecap manis and toasted peanuts, use them — they make the flavor authentically Indonesian.