Recipes

Gado Gado Indonesian Salad

Serves 4

| Prep Time: 15 mins

| Cook Time: 45 mins

| Total Time: 1 hour

You may need: Turmeric Gold

Discover The Recipe

Gado Gado Indonesian salad is one of the most well known dishes in Indonesia and one of the easiest to customize, including making it vegan or vegetarian as we've done here. Gado Gado, literally meaning “mix-mix” in the Indonesian language, features our signature Turmeric Gold spice mix, which contains anti-inflammatory turmeric in addition to warm notes from ginger, cinnamon and exotic hints from cardamom, nutmeg, and fenugreek. This dish is a fun salad that incorporates many different varieties of steamed or boiled vegetables and meat, tempeh or tofu with a special sauce drizzled over the top.

In our vegan recipe, we use healthy tofu that’s been marinated in our deeply flavored Turmeric Gold spice mix and then baked to golden perfection. We think you’ll enjoy this dish year ‘round. Use seasonal produce or even add your favorite proteins like sautéed shrimp, sliced steak, or BBQ chicken.

Ingredients

Turmeric Marinated Tofu
2 blocks of tofu, extra firm
3 Tbsp coconut milk
1 Tbsp lime juice (~1/2 lime)
1 Tbsp Piquant Post Turmeric Gold spice
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp sambal oelek (or chili paste)
Gado Gado Peanut Sauce
1/3 cup peanut butter (or 1/4 cup powdered peanut)
1 Tbsp Piquant Post Turmeric Gold spice
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sambal olek (or chili paste)
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 Tbsp lime juice (~1 lime)
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup water
Gado Gado Veggies
1 bunch spinach, blanched
1 medium potato, washed boiled till tender and then cut into 1” bite sized pieces
1 cucumber sliced on the diagonal
1 cup sprouts
Garnishes: red chili (sliced), lime, chopped peanuts, cilantro

Notes

Gado Gado is a perfect salad for summer! But you can make it year round by subbing in seasonal veggies. Nutrient dense, this salad makes a light meal and the peanut sauce adds a rich, flavorful component to the dish.

Serve with rice or noodles for a a complete and satisfying meal. Try it with brown rice or quinoa for a healthy twist.

We recommend extra firm tofu for this because it holds up well when marinated. You can also use tempeh for a nuttier flavor profile!

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 425°F. Cut the tofu into 1” cubes. Place the tofu onto a paper towels and cover with another paper towel. Gently press on the tofu to remove some of the excess liquid. Allow to sit 5-10 minutes, changing the paper towels if necessary. Press gently one last time between the paper towels and transfer to a mixing bowl. Take the coconut milk, lime juice, Piquant Post Turmeric Gold, minced garlic, and sambal oelek chili sauce and combine them together in a separate bowl. Whisk until well combined. Pour over the tofu and gently toss until the tofu is completely coated. Spread the marinated tofu onto a parchment lined baking sheet and place in the oven. Cook for 20 minutes and then turn the tofu over on the tray. Cook for another 20-30 minutes.

To make the Gado Gado sauce, add the peanut butter, Turmeric Gold spice, soy sauce, sambal oelek chili sauce, sea salt, garlic, lime, coconut milk, and water. Whisk until the sauce is creamy and well combined. Set aside.

While tofu bakes, prepare the veggies: Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the spinach to the boiling water and cook for 30 seconds or until the spinach is wilted. Remove the spinach and add the potatoes and boil until tender through the center (~20-25 mins). When the potatoes are cooked, remove from the water and allow to cool. Cut into bite sized pieces. Set aside. Slice the cucumber into 1/8” thick slices on the diagonal. Arrange the spinach, potato, cucumber and cooked tofu on a platter. Garnish with sprouts, red chili, lime, chopped peanuts and cilantro.

Drizzle some of the peanut sauce over the veggies or serve with the sauce on the side. Serve with more chili or hot sauce as desired.

Alternatives & Substitutions

To make a lighter version of this recipe with less fat, try substituting powdered peanut butter for the regular peanut butter. It will cut out extra oil and calories, but still makes a delicious and rich sauce.
For a dead-simple but flavor-packed alternative, try our Indonesian-inspired roasted Coconut Turmeric Cauliflower recipe.
If you eat fish, try making our Balinese Pan-Seared Fish recipe with the Turmeric Gold spice blend for a crowd-pleasing alternative dish. Or try these gorgeous (and delicious) Turmeric Prawns with Coconut Turmeric Rice. If you eat beef, you have to try our Turmeric Ginger Beef Fried Rice!
We created our Turmeric Gold spice blend as a flavor boosting alternative to turmeric in any recipe calling for turmeric.
Here's 37 alternate recipes using turmeric for inspiration of where you can substitute our Turmeric Gold spice blend for turmeric.
To make this dish gluten free, find a gluten free soy sauce or use a gluten free tamari sauce.
Post pictures of your masterpiece meal on social media and tag us. We repost!