Gado Gado

From the Moosewood cookbook.

Ingredients

Gado Gado Peanut Sauce

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 cup finely chopped onions
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 or 2 fresh hot peppers, minced, or ½ to 1 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 or 2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
• 1½ tablespoons peeled and fresh grated ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds (optional)
• 2 tablespoons tamarind concentrate
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 cups smooth peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

Vegetables

• broccoli spears, diagonally sliced carrots, strips of red, yellow, or orange bell peppers, chopped green cabbage, potato wedges, and sugar snap peas
• fresh spinach leaves
• mung bean sprouts, baked tofu, tomato wedges

Instructions

1. Warm the oil in a covered saucepan on low heat.
2. Add the onions, bay leaf, and salt and cook for 5 minutes.
3. Stir in the hot peppers or cayenne, garlic, ginger, coriander (if using), and tamarind concentrate, and continue to cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add the water, coconut milk, and vinegar, increase the heat to a low simmer, and cook, covered, for 3 minutes.
5. Stir in the peanut butter and sugar until the sauce is smooth, bring to a simmer, and cook, covered, on low heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
6. Remove the bay leaf.
7. Stir in the soy sauce, and add more to taste.
8. While the sauce is cooking, prepare and steam vegetables you like until they are just tender.
9. Serve Gado Gado on a large serving platter or on individual plates.
10. Spread a bed of spinach leaves on the platter or plates.
11. Arrange steamed and raw vegetables on top—they can be warm, room temperature, or cool.
12. Add some of the extras.
13. Serve the peanut sauce in a separate bowl or ladle some over the vegetables and pass more at the table.