British Asparagus heralds the start of Spring with it's green spears. The season is short…
Indonesian Salad: Gado-Gado
The last couple of days have been really sunny. Whilst the mornings are still cold and a little frosty the sun soon burns off the frost and it feels like Spring is here. I managed to hang my washing outside yesterday and it dried, something I have not been able to do for a while. I even managed to get into my garden and start clearing it. We started with the patio in the back garden. It was covered with weeds and the muck and dirt of the winter. I weeded it and my husband and son gave it a good brush. It now looks much better and I am looking forward to warm Summer days when we can sit out on it. We even managed to mow the lawn, which had been looking bedraggled and soggy for quite a while. There is something about sunshine that makes you want to eat lighter meals. Salad is the ideal choice for a sunny day. It seemed like a great chance to try making an Indonesian salad – Gado-Gado.
You may have noticed I have been trying out a few Indonesian dishes recently. I was inspired by Kitchen Trotter, who sent me their Indonesian box which contains four recipes as well as all the spices and exotic ingredients you need to make them. It has been a fun culinary adventure. I started by making Ayam Areh which is a rather delicious but odd looking chicken dish. I then tried making some green pancakes, Kue Dadar Gulung. These have a coconut filling and the green pancakes would be ideal for St Patrick’s Day. Gado-Gado seemed the ideal choice for this warm day as well as being quick and easy to make. There is nothing worse on a hot day that having to spend ages in a hot kitchen.
Gado-Gado is a mixture of lettuce, tomatoes, radishes, cucumber, cooked potato and boiled eggs. What makes it different is the sauce. The sauce is made from Gado-Gado mix which is a mix of peanuts with sugar, mixed herbs and spices. It is mixed with Kecap Manis or Bango which is a sweet thick soya sauce and an Indonesian cuisine staple. It is often found in restaurants instead of salt and pepper. The result of mixing these ingredients plus some water is a brown sauce which has an amazing taste. It is sweet with a hint of fire behind with and has a lovely crunch. It goes perfectly with the vegetables in the salad. You want to drench them in the sauce and eat more. I think I may have discovered a new favourite salad dressing.
Not only was I impressed by the dressing but my son loved it as well. He ate all the salad and demanded more, proclaiming the sauce to be gorgeous. I think I will be on the hunt for both these ingredients in my local stores when I run out or working out a way to make it myself.
Indonesian Salad: Gado-Gado Recipe
Indonesian Salad: Gado-Gado
Ingredients
- For the dressing
- 80 g Gado-gado mix
- 2 tbsp Kecap Manis
- 2 Combava leaves
- 80 ml water
- 2 bay leaves
- For the salad
- Romaine lettuce
- 4 small potatoes
- 4 to matoes
- 4 raddishes
- 4 eggs
- ½ cucumber
Instructions
- To make the sauce add the water to a saucepan with the combava and bay leaves. Bring to the boil
- Add the gado-gado mix and stir until it thickens.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the Kecap Manis
- To make the salad
- Peel the potatoes and boil until tender.
- Boil the eggs for nine minutes
- Peel the eggs and cut into quarters.
- Cut the raddishes and tomatoes into quarters and thinly slice the cucumber.
- Shred the lettuce.
- Dice the potatoes.
- Mix all the ingredients in a salad bowl and pour the gado-gado dressing over the top
Have you ever tried Gado-gado? What did you think of the sauce?
I was sent the Kitchen Trotter box for the purposes of review but was not obliged to say anything nice. My opinions are my own.
Samantha Rickelton says
Love the idea of an Indonesian food box! This recipe looks perfect for a day like today x
Dragons and Fairy Dust says
It is a great way to learn about different cuisines from around the world
Notmyyearoff says
I’ve never tried it but in a big fan of egg and potato in salad. I think I’d really like it!
Dragons and Fairy Dust says
If you like peanuts you will. It is a lovely sauce
Sarah Christie says
It looks so tasty Alison, i am starting to get into salad mode now the lights are getting lighter, I just want comfort food in the winter x
Dragons and Fairy Dust says
There is something about sunshine that makes salads appealing. I love my comfort food in the winter as well
Suze says
I love the sound of that Gado Gado sauce!
Dragons and Fairy Dust says
It is delicious, really makes the salad tasty
Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy says
I am so happy that Spring is nearly here. What I am most excited about is sitting in the garden and eating salads like this.
Dragons and Fairy Dust says
It didn’t last long, back to rain again today. Hopefully not long till the days are warm and sunny
Angela says
This looks so delicious! I would love to try that sauce, so will have to check into the ingredients. Thank you for sharing at the Sunday Fitness & Food Link-Up 🙂 Pinned!!
Dragons and Fairy Dust says
It is a fabulous sauce, definitely worth a try
Cheryl Pasquier says
We loved this sauce too – it certainly makes salad seem more appealing ! 🙂
Dragons and Fairy Dust says
It is addictive, will definitely have to work out how to make my own!
Fede Pastabites says
I love indonesian (and malay) food, and have made gado gado a few times myself.. such a good salad and so flexible too!
Dragons and Fairy Dust says
It really is lovely, will be making it often I suspect
Ilka says
This looks like such an awesome salad! The dressing sounds outrageously good! I need to try this:):)
Dragons and Fairy Dust says
The dressing is amazing, will have to make it more often