Balinese Gado Gado Recipe – Mix Vegetables in Peanut Sauce
Gado Gado is a popular Balinese recipe for mixed vegetables in a delicious peanut sauce. The name actually means “mix- mix” referring to the mixing of vegetables. It usually consists of snake beans and bean sprouts but any seasonal greens can be substituted. It’s common to include fried tofu or the very traditional Tipat (compressed rice cake) in the salad.
Balinese Gado Gado Recipe
This popular Indonesian recipe is really simple to make and fabulous to enjoy in summer. Although you don’t need a Thermomix to make the dish, I wanted to include the recipe on the website. Previously I’ve already shared my Balinese Peanut Sauce and the sauce is used as the dressing for Gado Gado.
Balinese Peanut Sauce
Gado Gado is a popular Balinese recipe for mixed vegetables in a delicious peanut sauce.
- 250 g snake beans regular beans can be substituted
- 150 g asparagus spears fresh, cut in half
- 1000 g hot tap water
- 200 g bean sprouts
- 200 g hard tofu cut in 2-3cm cubes
- 3/4 cup Peanut Sauce amount depending on personal taste
- 1 lime to serve
- 1 TBS peanuts to serve
- 1 TBS oil
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Chop beans in half and add to the internal steam basket.
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Place the trimmed halved asparagus in the large Varoma dish.
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Add 1000g hot water to the TM bowl. Place the internal steam basket in the TM bowl and add the lid then the Varoma tray. Steam vegetable 11min/Varoma/Speed 3.
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Heat a frying pan with oil and lightly fry the tofu, then drain on absorbancy paper.
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In a large serving bowl mix the peanut sauce, bean sprouts, 1/2 the asparagus, tofu and steamed beans gently.
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Arrange the Gado Gado on a plate. Serve with remaining asparagus and top with deep fried shallots and lime wedges.
Whilst holidaying in Bali I have attended many cooking classes and have multiple recipes for Gado Gado. None of the recipes is the same, so I think its fair to say there are many variations across Indonesia for this dish.
Gado Gado w Asparagus
You will notice in my variation I’ve included asparagus! This is not a traditional vegetable but it’s seasonal and worked really well in the dish.
Balinese Salad – Gado Gado
I like to toss the vegetables in the peanut sauce as I’ve been shown in classes but then choose a vegetable to leave free of the dressing. I noticed chefs using this serving method in restaurants. Leaving some vegetables free of sauce lighten the dish and add some colour to the presentation. Gado Gado can be quite heavy if everything is covered in peanut sauce.
Gado Gado Salad – Pin for later
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I am at the moment in Bali for over a week.. And I was so in love of the Balinese food.. So tasty and above all very healthy.. Well done to the bale bees people.. The smiley and enthusiastic people.
We love Bali too, the food and the people of course 🙂
i will try it now thanks
Wow, so glad to have found your page 🙂 gado gado was my favourite meal in Bali a couple of weeks ago too.
Did they tell you how to fry the tofu to make it crispy without being tough?
And seeing as you’re a great foodie and all, do you think this would work with any other nut or roasted sunflower seeds… my daughter has a severe peanut allergy 🙁 and I would love to make this for the family.
Thanks
Sharon
Hi Sharon
Thank you so much for your lovely message. I LOVE eating in Bali too. 🙂
When we fried the tofu in Bali it was using really hot oil in a deep wok with A LOT of oil. The tofu was just deep-fried for a short period. There wasn’t anything added to the tofu so I think the key to cooking is quick and hot. As to the peanut allergy, I would use cashew nuts if she is able to tolerate them. The texture and flavour of the nuts are a little different but cashews will still make a lovely sauce. Just balance the salt and sour in the recipe for your taste buds.
Happy Cooking
Julie