I have to say, even though Indonesia is our neighbour, I don’t know a lot about Indonesian cuisine. I do know that it’s quite diverse and varies greatly by region. Some of  it is similar to Malaysian cuisine too. I believe our “Rendang” is originally from Indonesian. Another famous dish shared by both countries is the Satay. Since we are still on a vegetarian diet (Ovo-lacto Vegetarian that is), I’ve decided to make Gado-gado: Indonesian salad with a peanut dressing. It’s a nutritiously balanced dish with good protein from Tempeh (fermented soy beans made into cake form) and eggs. The various vegetables add to the already high amount of vitamins, as well as fibre cotent.

I’ve made the peanut sauce vegetarian by omitting the shrimp paste. There are also only half the ingredients usually present in the Gado-gado to keep the portion small enough for two. Of course, prawn crackers would have to be excluded being a vegetarian dish. Scroll to the bottom to see what else you can add to this dish.

Ingredients:

Green beans, blanched
Bean sprouts, blanched
Tomato, cut into wedges
Tempeh, fried
Hardboiled eggs

Simplified Gado-gado sauce

5 cloves garlic, stir fried/fried/roasted
2 shallots
1 cup peanut butter (I’ve used crunchy type)
200 ml coconut milk
5 red chilies
juice of 2 small limes
salt, to taste

Process all ingredients except the lime juice and salt in a blender (My food processor happens to be broken).

In a saucepan, bring the mixture to a boil, then turn the heat down to reduce the volume. When it’s done you’ll see the surface becoming a bit oily. Add the lime juice and salt, and taste before turning off the heat.

You can assemble the salad however ways you like. Being influenced by making the Yee Sang a day earlier for Chap Goh Mei, I’ve arranged the ingredients in a pile individually.

Other ingredients you could use: firm tofu, cucumbers, chinese cabbage, potatoes, etc. Have fun!! 

P/S: The leftover peanut sauce is perfect for other dipping purposes. Or, if thicken further makes a perfect spread for bread. Think of it like a posh version of peanut butter. Mmmmm.