Gado-Gado Javanese Salad with Peanut Dressing

Ingredients

• 150 g Green beans
• 1 medium (about 120 g) Carrots
• 1 medium (about 150 g) Cucumber
• 100 g Bean sprouts
• 200 g Firm tofu
• 2 large Egg
• 4 tbsp Peanut butter (creamy)
• 1 tbsp Soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Palm sugar (or brown sugar)
• 1 tsp Tamarind paste (or lime juice)(optional)
• 1 clove Garlic
• 1 tbsp Lime juice(optional)
• 3 tbsp Water (to thin dressing)
• 1 tsp Vegetable oil(optional)
• 1/4 tsp Salt(optional)
• 2 tbsp Roasted peanuts (chopped)(optional)

Instructions

1. 1

   Prep (15 min): Bring a pot of water to a boil. Trim green beans and cut into bite-size pieces; slice carrots into thin coins or ribbons; halve and slice cucumber. Pat tofu dry and cut into bite-size cubes.

2. 2

   Cook (10 min): Add carrots and green beans to the boiling water and blanch for 3–4 minutes until crisp-tender. Add bean sprouts for the last 30–60 seconds, then drain and rinse briefly with cool water to stop cooking.

3. 3

   Cook tofu and eggs (10 min total cook time): In a nonstick pan, heat vegetable oil (if using). Pan-fry tofu cubes for about 4–5 minutes, turning until lightly golden. In the same pot (or boil separately), boil eggs for 9–10 minutes for hard-boiled, then cool, peel, and halve or chop.

4. 4

   Make peanut dressing (during cook window): In a small bowl, mix peanut butter, soy sauce, palm sugar, minced garlic, tamarind paste (if using), and water. Stir until smooth; add lime juice if using. If too thick, add a little more water a teaspoon at a time.

5. 5

   Assemble: Arrange blanched vegetables, cucumber, tofu, and eggs on plates. Spoon peanut dressing over the top and finish with chopped roasted peanuts (if using).