Gado Gado

Gado Gado! The platter dish. The dish as finger food, or appetizer or starter (Rice Vadai, Chinese Prawn Fritters, Grilled Chicken Wings, Fried Shrimp Wantons & Bonda). Actually Gado Gado can even be your main course. Perhaps? If you don't want a heavy meal or a complete Gado Gado like this one, trust me, can fill you up as well. What can expect in Gado Gado? Tofu, potatoes, tempeh/fermented soy and fresh raw vegetables. My this, Nava K's version is a vegetarian and grilled version instead of frying the items. Of course, you can, go ahead, include fried seafood, poultry, meat or whatever whichever.   

Ingredients

For The Sauce

1 inch lengkuas/galangal

1 serai/lemongrass

1 handful of dried red chillies

5 shallots

40g roasted peanuts - crushed 

3 tbsp assam/tamarind juice 

4 tbsp oil + 2 tbsp oil

Brown sugar and salt as per taste

To Serve With (as needed) 

Boiled potatoes

Tempeh/fermented soy cakes 

Fried brown taufu
** lightly dust these ingredients with salt
Boiled eggs 

Cucumber - sliced

Salad leaves - break into smaller pieces

Lemon wedges (optional)

Method:

Blend/ground galangal, lemongrass, dried chillies, shallots and shrimp paste for a thick-smooth paste. 

Heat 4 tbsp of oil and when heated, add the paste.

Fry until aromatic and oil splits. .

Pour in tamarind juice, add  cashew nuts, sugar and salt.

(Note; if the sauce is too thick, pour some water) 

Stir and remove from heat.

As for the other ingredients; grill (I grilled over the the portable grill) eggs, potatoes, tempeh and taufu on both sides. Then slice into bite sizes.

Arrange all of them with the cucumber and salad leaves on a plate and serve with the dipping sauce.

Optional: serve with lemon wedges.