March 13, 2011: Gado Gado

I got stuck into to a greater extent than Ottolenghi on a Dominicus afternoon. I've had my oculus on the gado gado since the twenty-four hr menstruum Michael gave me Plenty but the recipe's quite involved in addition to was destined to arrive at questionable leftovers.  

The satay sauce took an hour, mayhap an hr in addition to a half, to laid upwards but it was other-worldly inwards its deliciousness.  It was every bit if the ingredients queued upwards patiently to live tasted 1 yesteryear 1 every bit this rolled across my palate.  Fragrant galangal in addition to lemongrass, sour tamarind, the sweetness of saccharide in addition to coconut, in addition to then the garlic, peanuts, in addition to a concluding gentle chilli burn.  Just astounding.

The salad itself is a fun in addition to filling mix.  Cabbage, beans, sprouts in addition to cucumber teach rounded out amongst turmeric-dyed Irish Gaelic patato chunks, boiled eggs in addition to tofu, dressed amongst the peanut sauce in addition to and then showered amongst fresh herbs in addition to crunchy-fried bits.  It is a hassle to blanch everything separately in addition to inwards futurity nosotros mightiness pick-and-choose what to include; I'd prioritise fresh greens, par-boiled potatoes, tofu chunks in addition to the convenient crispy-fried shallots.  For the other crispy-fried care for (Ottolenghi nominates cassava chips, croutons in addition to wonton skins every bit options) I dug out the garlic chips nosotros bought at Minh Phat lastly year.  They were terrific but mightiness cause got been to a greater extent than essay than they're worth.

The leftovers were far to a greater extent than palatable than I'd feared (...even the cabbage!).  This dish volition definitely reappear inwards our kitchen, though it mightiness cause got a few goes to detect the version that best suits us.

Gado gado
(from Plenty yesteryear Yotam Ottolenghi,
also available on The Guardian website)

sauce
4 cloves garlic
1 stem lemongrass, roughly chopped
ii 1/2 tablespoons sambal olek
ii small-scale pieces galangal
4 medium shallots
1/3 loving cup vegetable oil
225g roasted peanuts
450mL water
ii teaspoons salt
90g sugar
ii teaspoons paprika
ii tablespoons tamarind concentrate
200mL kokosnoot milk

salad
1 teaspoon turmeric
ii medium potatoes, peeled in addition to cutting into chunks
1/4 large cabbage, cutting into chunks
70g edible bean sprouts
100g greenish beans
1/2 medium cucumber, sliced
4 hard-boiled eggs, quartered
100g tofu, sliced
garlic chips (or something else crunchy in addition to deep-fried)
three tablespoons coriander leaves
crispy-fried shallots

In a nutrient processor, blend together the garlic, lemongrass, sambal olek, galangal in addition to shallots until they brand a coarse paste; add together a petty of the stone oil every bit you lot teach if it needs assistance pastifying. In a medium saucepan over low-medium heat, pour inwards the remaining stone oil in addition to add together the paste. Turn the oestrus downward to depression in addition to ready the paste, stirring regularly, for 40-50 minutes.

Roughly rhythm the nuts - I did this amongst a mortar in addition to pestle but you lot could also briefly pulse the nuts inwards a nutrient processor. Transfer them to a frypan, comprehend them amongst the water, in addition to simmer the nuts for 20-25 minutes, until most of the H2O has evaporated.

While the peanuts are simmering, the glue should live almost done cooking. When it's ready add together the salt, sugar, paprika in addition to tamarind concentrate. Stir everything good to combine in addition to ready for a farther 10 minutes. Add the peanuts in addition to kokosnoot milk to the sauce in addition to stir everything good to combine. Set the sauce aside, ensuring it's warm come upwards serving time.

Bring a medium-large saucepan of H2O to the boil in addition to add together the turmeric; boil the potatoes inwards this H2O until tender. Bring to a greater extent than H2O to boil inwards a 2nd pot in addition to blanch in addition to drain the other vegetables inwards plow - the cabbage should entirely cause got a minute, the sprouts one-half a minute, in addition to the beans most 4 minutes.

Finally, pile everything upwards on plates (or a unmarried large serving platter). Layer the blanched vegetables, cucumber, tofu in addition to eggs; spoon over the sauce in addition to and then sprinkle over the garlic chips, coriander leaves in addition to crispy-fried shallots.