When chef Matt Chatfield got married, he gained a new cuisine. His wife is Indonesian, and he soon learned to appreciate this classic Indonesian take on a hearty salad.
“It’s a little bit of a peasant salad,” Chatfield said. “It doesn’t have any ‘fancy’ ingredients in it.”
Indonesian gado gado typically includes boiled eggs, potatoes and a peanut dressing.
In between consulting for local food trucks and raising triplets, Chatfield shared his family’s recipe for this signature Indonesian dish on KCUR's Central Standard:
Gado Gado
Salad ingredients:
½ head cabbage, shredded
4 oz. green beans, trimmed
1 carrot, sliced
1 potato, sliced
2 oz. bean sprouts
1 hard cooked eggs, peeled and quartered
1 Tbsp fried shallots or onions
Peanut Dressing Ingredients:
1/4 cup rice wine
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 garlic clove (1 tsp)
1 Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp peanut butter
4 Tbsp coconut milk
3/4 cup canola oil
salt and pepper to taste
Add 1/2 cup crushed peanuts after puree from food processors. Steam or boil all the vegetables apart from the shallots until tender.
For the dressing, place all ingredients except oil in a blender pitcher with a tight fitting cap. Blend on medium high for 30 seconds.
Next, blend on low. While mixing, remove the blender’s center cap, and slowly add oil in a thin stream for about 15 seconds to emulsify.
Season with salt and pepper to taste. The dressing can be stored for up to 7 days. Lay out the prepared ingredients in separate bowls. Mix and match according to taste.
Yield: 6-8 salads
Anna Sturla is an intern at KCUR 89.3.