Gado Gado

by Brenda Davis / Vesanto Melina

Gado gado is one of Indonesia’s five national dishes. It consists of vegetables that are raw or steamed until crisp-tender, plus tofu or tempeh. Then it’s topped with a spicy peanut sauce. We give the dish a healthy lift by baking rather than frying the tofu or tempeh and omitting the oil in the sauce. Get creative with the vegetables and include local and sea-sonal choices.

Total Time

30 min

Difficulty

Medium

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Chinese (Traditional)

Simple Tasty Recipes

Ingredients for 4 Servings

-

Tofu or Tempeh
12 ounces (360 g)

firm tofu or tempeh, cut into 3⁄4-inch (2-cm) cubes
1 tablespoon (15 ml)

low-sodium or regular tamari
1 teaspoon (5 ml)

salt-free seasoning blend of choice
1⁄2 teaspoon (2 ml)

ground turmeric
-

Vegetables
2

sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 cups (500 ml)

cut green beans
2 cups (500 ml)

broccoli florets and pieces
4 cups (1 L)

chopped leafy greens (such as bok choy, kale, or collards)
2 cups (500 ml)

mung bean sprouts
2 cups (500 ml)

finely shredded red cabbage
2

carrots, shredded
1

red bell pepper, sliced into strips
-

Optional Toppings
1⁄2 cup (125 ml)

sliced green onions
1⁄2 cup (125 ml)

chopped fresh cilantro, lightly packed
1⁄4 cup (60 ml)

crushed unsalted dry-roasted peanuts
1

Lime wedges

Time

Preparation Time

15 min
Cooking Time

15 min
Total Time

30 min

Goes Great with

VEGAN ORANGE, RED COLOR MIXED RICE

Method

To make the tofu or tempeh, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C). Line a medium baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Put the tofu or tempeh in a medium bowl. Coat with the tamari, seasoning blend, and turmeric. Transfer the tofu or tempeh to the prepared baking sheet. Bake the tofu or tempeh for 20 minutes, or until crispy. Transfer it to a medium bowl.
Steam the vegetables in two batches. Start by steaming the sweet potatoes for 2 minutes. Add the green beans and steam for 2 minutes. Add the broccoli and steam for 4 minutes. Arrange the sweet potatoes, green beans, and broccoli on a large platter or on individual plates.
Steam the leafy greens for 2 minutes. Add the bean sprouts and steam for 1 minute. Arrange the leafy greens, bean sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cucumber, bell pepper, and tofu or tempeh on the platter. Serve with the optional toppings of your choice. Top with Gado Gado Sauce, or pass the sauce at the table.

Notes:

Per serving (one-fourth recipe)*:
Calories: 235
Protein: 16 g
Leucine: 1,018 mg
Fat: 5 g
Carbohydrate: 39 g
Fiber: 10 g

Minerals:
Iron: 4.9 mg
Zinc: 2 mg
Calcium: 371 mg
Sodium: 406 mg
Percent of calories from:
Protein 25%
Fat 16%
Carbohydrate 59%

*The analysis was done without
the Gado Gado Sauce (see page
151 for analysis of the sauce).

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

BRENDA DAVIS, RD, IS ONE OF THE WORLD’S LEADING PLANT-BASED PIONEERS AND SPEAKERS. IN 2022, BRENDA
BECAME THE FIRST REGISTERED DIETICIAN TO RECEIVE THE PLANTRICIAN PROJECT'S LUMINARY AWARD. VESANTO

Vesanto MELINA, MS, RD, A POPULAR SPEAKER AT HEALTH CONFERENCES WORLDWIDE, WAS ACCORDED THE PRESTIGIOUS
RYLEY JEFFS AWARD FROM DIETITIANS OF CANADA. CORY DAVIS, MBA, PA.G, IS A PROFESSIONAL AGROLOGIST WHO
HAS WORKED IN NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT SINCE 2012.

Goes Great with