About
Gado-Gado is one of those dishes that looks simple until you realize it carries an entire country on its back. Indonesia—17,000 islands, hundreds of languages, religions, histories—and somehow all of it feels like it collapses into a plate of vegetables, tofu, tempeh, rice cakes, and a peanut sauce so rich it feels almost indecent.
“Mix-mix,” the name literally says. Chaos, harmony, everything thrown together and somehow working—just like the archipelago itself.
It likely started in Java, that hot, humid cradle of Indonesian life, where Portuguese traders once dropped off peanuts and the locals—resourceful as always—turned them into something extraordinary. Farmers, laborers, market vendors… they all ate Gado-Gado because it was cheap, filling, and pulled straight from the earth around them. Greens, roots, eggs, tofu born from fermented beans—nothing fancy, nothing wasted. Just food with purpose.
And yet, there’s soul here. A philosophy. Indonesians don’t eat just to survive—they eat to honor the land that feeds them, the hands that grow their food, the spirits and stories that shape their identity. Gado-Gado, in its messy, beautiful way, feels like that ritual made edible.
Across the islands, it morphs. Central Java leans sweet with palm sugar. West Java hits you with tamarind or lime—a punch of sour like a slap across the face. In a Jakarta street stall, you’ll find someone pounding garlic, chilies, peanuts, and palm sugar in a stone mortar older than the shop itself. In a warung on Bali, the sauce will be thicker, darker, maybe spicier, depending on the mood of the cook.
And then there’s the diaspora. Malaysians, Singaporeans, Dutch Indonesians—people who left home but kept the flavors tucked in their pockets like sacred artifacts. For them, Gado-Gado isn’t just lunch. It’s memory. It’s the humid air of a childhood kitchen. It’s the sound of a wooden spoon scraping against a stone bowl. It’s a country they carry inside themselves, even when oceans get in the way.
Eat it on a street corner, eat it in a high-end restaurant, eat it in someone’s kitchen where the fan rattles overhead and the chilies sting your eyes. No matter where you are, it tastes like Indonesia—messy, bold, chaotic, generous, alive.
Gado-Gado isn’t a salad. It’s a story. A reminder that in a place as vast and varied as Indonesia, you can still find unity in a simple, perfect mix.
Samp is meant to be simple and nourishing. Its texture can be adjusted easily: add more water for a looser porridge or simmer longer for a thicker, almost pudding-like consistency. It is one of the closest dishes you can make today to the foods shared at the earliest recorded harvest gatherings in New England.
If you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram or Pinterest – seeing your creations always makes my day. Let's explore international cuisine together!
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INGREDIENTS
For the peanut sauce:
250g roasted peanuts (unsalted) or peanut butter (smooth or chunky)
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 small red chilies (adjust to spice preference), chopped
1 tablespoon palm sugar (or brown sugar)
1 tablespoon tamarind paste
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 tablespoons sweet soy sauce (kecap manis)
2 kefir lime leaves (optional)
1 cup coconut milk (optional, for creaminess)
1-1½ cups water (adjust for desired sauce consistency)
Salt to taste
For the salad:
green beans, trimmed and blanched
bean sprouts, blanched
potatoes, boiled and sliced
carrots, sliced and blanched
spinach, sliced and blanched
tomatoes, chopped
cucumber, thinly sliced
cabbage, shredded and lightly steamed
4 hard-boiled eggs, halved
200g fried tofu, cut into cubes
200g tempeh, fried or grilled (optional)
1-2 rice cakes (lontong), sliced (optional)
For garnish:
Fried shallots
Emping or krupuk (melinjo or prawn crackers)
Lime wedges
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Instructions
Make the peanut sauce:
Grind the roasted peanuts into a paste using a food processor or mortar and pestle. (Skip this step if using peanut butter.)
Heat a pan over medium heat and sauté the minced garlic and chilies in a small amount of oil until fragrant.
Add the peanut paste (or peanut butter), palm sugar, tamarind paste, and sweet soy sauce. Stir to combine.
Gradually pour in the coconut milk and water, stirring constantly until you achieve a smooth, creamy sauce. Add in kefir lime leaves. Simmer for 5-10 minutes. Adjust the seasoning with salt and more palm sugar or tamarind if needed. Set aside.
Prepare the salad:
Blanch or steam the green beans, spinach, bean sprouts, carrots, until tender but still crisp. Drain and set aside.
Add cabbage and tomatoes.
Boil the potatoes and eggs, then slice them.
Fry or grill the tofu and tempeh until golden.
Assemble the Gado-Gado:
Arrange the blanched vegetables, potatoes, cucumber, tofu, tempeh, eggs, and rice cake slices on a large serving platter or individual plates.
Generously drizzle the peanut sauce over the top or serve in a bowl for dipping on the side.
Garnish and serve:
Sprinkle with fried shallots and serve with crackers on the side. Add lime wedges for squeezing over the dish for extra brightness.
