gado gado

gado-gado

An Indonesian dish that is widely open to interpretation and adaptation, gado-gado is a winner dinner for our family. Nic had been requesting it, so it was about time we had it for dinner again. This version was vegetarian, making it a great meatless Monday meal. It can easily become a vegan meal too.

Loosely translated as 'mix-mix', gado-gado is a good way to use up vegetables that might be loitering in the crisper drawers and/or to get rid of leftovers. It could easily be described as a pantry meal, as it uses whatever foods might be at hand.

Quite simply, it is a spicy peanut sauce over... ingredients. Vegetables used in the dish can be raw, lightly blanched or steamed. Nic's preference is to have it over noodles, I prefer brown rice. It would also be great with quinoa for an added source of protein.  

a mixed plate of foods - to which peanut sauce is added

This particular meal included: egg noodles, shredded lettuce, boiled eggs, sliced cucumber, grated carrot, cherry tomatoes, snow peas, boiled potatoes, sliced green onions.

Traditional foods to serve in gado-gado also include: tofu, tempeh, mung bean sprouts, green beans, shredded green cabbage, lontong (rice cake), prawn/shrimp crackers (krupuk)... Other possible additions might include: baby corn or corn kernels, asparagus, snap peas, zucchini, spinach, grilled eggplant, broad beans, edamame, cauliflower, broccoli, red cabbage, spiralized beets, pumpkin, sliced mushrooms, radishes, red or green peppers, shredded chicken, fish, shrimp... The possibilities are vast and combinations endless.

This is a fantastic dish to introduce new foods to children. It is colorfully appealing, can incorporate a variety of tastes and textures, and portions of new foods need only be small. 

Allergic reactions to peanuts may be avoided by substituting almonds in the sauce, like the recipe found here. 

PEANUT SAUCE RECIPE

This recipe is for the spicy sauce to put atop whatever ingredients one wishes to use. 

Ingredients:

1 onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 tsp ginger root, grated

1 TB peanut oil (or substitute other vegetable oil)

5 TB peanut butter

⅓ cup coconut milk

½ tsp shrimp paste (or fish sauce)

1 tsp lime juice (or lemon juice)

1 ½ tsp palm sugar (or dark brown sugar)

1 TB soy sauce / Tamari

¼ tsp chili paste / Sambal Oelek

Method:

Heat oil in small saucepan over medium heat.

Fry onion, garlic, and ginger until onion is soft.

Stir in the peanut butter and coconut milk.

Add other ingredients to taste.

Blend ingredients with an immersion blender for a smooth sauce. 

Cook for a further 5 minutes for flavors to develop.

NOTES:

• This sauce is lovely served with satay or added to stir-fried vegetables.
• I like to make sufficient sauce to ensure we have left-overs. I typically scale-up the quantities of all ingredients so I can use a full can of coconut milk.
• Ingredients and ratios/quantities are easily altered depending on taste or availability (or even substituted or omitted). Traditional versions of the sauce include tamarind. The sauce can be made with unsalted peanuts instead of peanut butter. 
• Shrimp paste (Mam ruoc) is fermented shrimp. It is extremely strong in smell and taste, and cooking with it may offend young noses (I have always make sure to cook with it when the kids are not in the room!) It is easily substituted with fish sauce. 
• If I don't have time, I make a cheat version of this sauce by adding some Sambal Oelek to peanut butter and thinning it to sauce consistency with orange juice. 

butternut soup with a Thai twist

Always a great soup for a chilly evening. 
This is a definite family favorite. It is made with Butternut squash/pumpkin, chicken broth, onions, flavored with lemongrass, shrimp paste, chilies, lime, coconut milk. I added a few kaffir lime leaves too.

I didn’t have fresh birds eye chilies, so I substituted red pepper flakes (sambal oelek is also a good substitute). Spiciness can be adjusted to kid-friendly levels.

When our children were very young, they were able to withstand spicier foods. After the age of about two, they all became a little timid when it came to spiciness. Over time (and with insistence), they are all now accustomed to and enjoy spicy foods from a variety of cultures: Thai, Indian, Mexican, Cajun...

Original recipe found here.