Gado-gado

Gado-gado(IndonesianorBetawi) is anIndonesiansaladof raw, slightlyboiled,blanchedorsteamedvegetablesandhard-boiled eggs, boiled potato, friedtofuandtempeh, and slicedlontong(compressed cylinder rice cake wrapped in a banana leaf),served with apeanut saucedressing.
In 2018,gado-gadowas promoted as one of fivenational dishesof Indonesia; the others aresoto,sate,nasi goreng, andrendang.
The termgadoor the verbmenggadomeans to consume something without rice. In Indonesian Betawi,digadoormenggadomeans to eat a certain dish (be it fish, meat, chicken, etc.) without rice.Gado-gadois made up of a rich mixture of vegetables, includingpotatoes,longbeans,bean sprouts,spinach,chayote,bitter gourd,cornandcabbage, along withtofu,tempeh, and hard-boiled eggs. They are all mixed in peanut sauce dressing, sometimes also topped withkrupukand sprinkles of friedshallots.Gado-gadois different from Sundaneselotekatahorkaredokas the latter uses only raw vegetables. Another similar dish is the Javanesepecel.
Gado-gadois widely sold in almost every part ofIndonesia, each with its own regional variations.It is thought to have originally been aSundanesedish, as it is most prevalent in Western parts ofJava(which includesJakarta,Banten, andWest Javaprovinces). TheJavanesehave their own slightly similar version of a vegetables-in-peanut-sauce dish calledpecelwhich is more prevalent in Central and East Java.Gado-gadois widely available at hawkers' carts, stalls (warung) and restaurants and hotels throughoutIndonesia; it is also served in Indonesian-style restaurants worldwide. Though it is customarily called a salad, the peanut sauce is a larger component ofgado-gadothan is usual for the dressings in Western-style salads; the vegetables should be well coated with it.
Some eating establishments use different mixtures of peanut sauce, or add other ingredients for taste such ascashew nuts. In Jakarta, several eating establishments boastgado-gadoas their signature dish, some of which have been in business for decades and have developed faithful clientele. For example, Gado-Gado Boplo restaurant chain has been around since 1970,while Gado-Gado Bonbin in Cikini has been around since 1960.
The peanut sauce is made of ground fried peanuts, sweet palm sugar, garlic, chilies, salt, tamarind, and a squeeze of lime.Gado-gadois generally freshly made, sometimes in front of the customers to suit their preferred degree of spiciness, which corresponds to the amount ofchili pepperincluded. However, particularly in the West,gado-gadosauce is often prepared ahead of time and in bulk.Gado-gadosauce is also available in dried form, which is simply rehydrated by adding hot water.
Gado-gadosauce is not to be confused withsataysauce, which is also a peanut sauce.
The history of this Indonesian culinary dish does not have a fixed historical background. Rather, there are several different theories and beliefs as to howgado-gadobecame an Indonesian culinary dish. The different theories and beliefs are written below:
Gado-gado comes from the Indonesian word"digado". However, the word"digado" does not exist in the Indonesian dictionary. The word"digado" originates from a specific Indonesian culture,Betawi. In theBetawi language, the word means “to not be eaten with rice”, which is why rice is not included as one of the key ingredients ofgado-gado. Rather, a substitute of rice is used, which is known aslontong, otherwise known as Indonesian rice cake.
Another theory is thatgado-gadooriginated from theTugu village. In the early 1700s, when the Europeans arrived in Indonesia, a number of Portuguese people started a village currently known as the Tugu village. It is said that these Portuguese people brought their local cuisine to Indonesia. Through the introduction of thePortuguese culture, the dishgado-gadowas first introduced to Indonesia.
There are also some who claim thatgado-gadooriginated from theChinese peopleliving inBetawi. Some claim that the Chinese people really enjoyed the Javanesepecel, which is an Indonesian salad, and wanted to modify the dish to better accommodate their taste. As a result, the dishgado-gadowas created.
This variation ofgado-gadooriginates fromBetawiin Jakarta and is known for being prepared differently as compared to the other variations.
Unlikegado-gado sederhana,gado-gadoPadangadds yellow noodles andsohun, which are cellophane noodles, to thegado-gadodish.This variation ofgado-gadooriginated fromPadanginWest Sumatra.It is also known to have a spicy flavor.This variation follows other common dishes inPadang, which are known for having a spicy flavor.
A translation of “gado-gado sederhana” is “simplegado-gado”. This variation is the basic way of preparing agado-gadodish, which is made using vegetables, bean sprouts,lontongand peanut sauce as key ingredients.
This variation ofgado-gadooriginated fromSidoarjoand is created using an addition ofpetis, which is a food additive added to the peanut sauce.
This variation ofgado-gadocooks the peanut sauce and spreads it over the dish.Some claim that cooking the peanut sauce makes the dish last longer.It uses lettuce and tomatoes as some of the ingredients of the dish.It also uses coconut milk in the peanut sauce, which is used to make the sauce look oilier and more tasteful.
Most of flavours ingado-gadoare acquired from the mixture of itsbumbu kacangor peanut salad dressing.Gado-gadocombines  slightly sweet, spicy and savory tastes.The common primary ingredients of the peanut sauce are as follows:
The traditional method of makinggado-gadois to use thecobek(pestle) andulekanor flat rounded stone. The dry ingredients are ground first, then the tamarind liquids are added to achieve the desired consistency.
The composition of the vegetable salad varies greatly, but usually comprises a mixture of some of the following:
Outside Indonesia, it is usual to improvise with whatever vegetables are available.
All the ingredients are blanched or lightly boiled, including vegetables, potatoes and bean sprouts, except for the tempeh and tofu, which are fried, and cucumber which is sliced and served fresh.The blanched vegetables and other ingredients are mixed well with the dressing.
In Indonesiagado-gadois commonly served mixed with choppedlontongorketupat(glutinous rice cake), or withsteamed riceserved separately.  It is nearly always served withkrupuk, e.g.tapiocacrackers oremping, Indonesian style fried crackers, which are made frommelinjo. A common garnish isbawang goreng, a sprinkle of finely-chopped friedshallot.
There are three common ways of serving thegado-gadodish in Indonesia. Firstly,gado-gadois sometimes prepared at home as a traditional Indonesian dish. It is relatively easy to prepare and cook, which is part of the reason whygado-gadocan be commonly found in Indonesian households. Secondly, some street vendors andwarungsin Indonesia are known to sellgado-gado. However, different cities may serve different variations ofgado-gadodepending on the region. Thirdly,gado-gadocan also be found in restaurants that serve Indonesian cuisine. Amongst many Indonesian restaurants,gado-gadois a relatively common dish, because it is popular in Indonesia.