Gado-gado

''Gado-gado'' ( Indonesian or Betawi) is an Indonesian salad of raw, slightly boiled, blanched or steamed vegetables and hard-boiled eggs, boiled potato, fried tofu and tempeh, and sliced ''lontong'' (compressed cylinder rice cake wrapped in a banana leaf), served with a peanut sauce dressing.

In 2018, ''gado-gado'' was promoted as one of five national dishes of Indonesia; the others are soto, sate, nasi goreng, and rendang.

Etymology

The term ''gado'' or the verb ''menggado'' means to consume something without rice. In Indonesian Betawi, ''digado'' or ''menggado'' means to eat a certain dish (be it fish, meat, chicken, etc.) without rice. ''Gado-gado'' is made up of a rich mixture of vegetables, including potatoes, longbeans, bean sprouts, spinach, chayote, bitter gourd, corn and cabbage, along with tofu, tempeh, and hard-boiled eggs. They are all mixed in peanut sauce dressing, sometimes also topped with ''krupuk'' and sprinkles of fried shallots. ''Gado-gado'' is different from Sundanese '' lotek atah'' or '' karedok'' as the latter uses only raw vegetables. Another similar dish is the Javanese '' pecel''.

Region

''Gado-gado'' is widely sold in almost every part of Indonesia, each with its own regional variations. It is thought to have originally been a Sundanese dish, as it is most prevalent in Western parts of Java (which includes Jakarta, Banten, and West Java provinces). The Javanese have their own slightly similar version of a vegetables-in-peanut-sauce dish called '' pecel'' which is more prevalent in Central and East Java. ''Gado-gado'' is widely available at hawkers' carts, stalls ('' warung'') and restaurants and hotels throughout Indonesia; it is also served in Indonesian-style restaurants worldwide. Though it is customarily called a salad, the peanut sauce is a larger component of ''gado-gado'' than 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 as cashew nuts. In Jakarta, several eating establishments boast ''gado-gado'' as 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-gado'' is generally freshly made, sometimes in front of the customers to suit their preferred degree of spiciness, which corresponds to the amount of chili pepper included. However, particularly in the West, ''gado-gado'' sauce is often prepared ahead of time and in bulk. ''Gado-gado'' sauce is also available in dried form, which is simply rehydrated by adding hot water.

''Gado-gado'' sauce is not to be confused with satay sauce, which is also a peanut sauce.

History

The history of this Indonesian culinary dish does not have a fixed historical background. Rather, there are several different theories and beliefs as to how ''gado-gado'' became an Indonesian culinary dish. The different theories and beliefs are written below:

Indonesian word ''"digado"''

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 the Betawi language, the word means “to not be eaten with rice”, which is why rice is not included as one of the key ingredients of ''gado-gado''. Rather, a substitute of rice is used, which is known as ''lontong'', otherwise known as Indonesian rice cake.

Tugu village

Another theory is that ''gado-gado'' originated from the Tugu 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 the Portuguese culture, the dish ''gado-gado'' was first introduced to Indonesia.

Chinese origin

There are also some who claim that ''gado-gado'' originated from the Chinese people living in Betawi. Some claim that the Chinese people really enjoyed the Javanese '' pecel'', which is an Indonesian salad, and wanted to modify the dish to better accommodate their taste. As a result, the dish ''gado-gado'' was created.

Variations

''Gado-gado Betawi''

This variation of ''gado-gado'' originates from Betawi in Jakarta and is known for being prepared differently as compared to the other variations.

''Gado-gado Padang''

Unlike ''gado-gado sederhana'', ''gado-gado'' Padang adds yellow noodles and '' sohun'', which are cellophane noodles, to the ''gado-gado'' dish. This variation of ''gado-gado'' originated from Padang in West Sumatra. It is also known to have a spicy flavor. This variation follows other common dishes in Padang, which are known for having a spicy flavor.

''Gado-gado Sederhana''

A translation of “''gado-gado sederhana''” is “simple ''gado-gado''”. This variation is the basic way of preparing a ''gado-gado'' dish, which is made using vegetables, bean sprouts, ''lontong'' and peanut sauce as key ingredients.

''Gado-gado Sidoarjo''

This variation of ''gado-gado'' originated from Sidoarjo and is created using an addition of '' petis'', which is a food additive added to the peanut sauce.

''Gado-gado Surabaya''

This variation of ''gado-gado'' cooks 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.

Ingredients

Peanut dressing

Most of flavours in ''gado-gado'' are acquired from the mixture of its ''bumbu kacang'' or peanut salad dressing. ''Gado-gado'' combines slightly sweet, spicy and savory tastes. The common primary ingredients of the peanut sauce are as follows:

* ground fried peanuts (kidney beans may be substituted for a richer taste)
* coconut sugar/palm sugar (substitute brown sugar if unavailable)
* chillies (according to preference and desired degree of spiciness)
* '' terasi'' (dried ''shrimp paste'')
* salt
* tamarind juice
* lime juice
* water to dilute

The traditional method of making ''gado-gado'' is to use the ''cobek'' (pestle) and ''ulekan'' or flat rounded stone. The dry ingredients are ground first, then the tamarind liquids are added to achieve the desired consistency.

Vegetables

The composition of the vegetable salad varies greatly, but usually comprises a mixture of some of the following:
* blanched - shredded, chopped, or sliced green vegetables such as cabbage, kangkung, spinach, bean sprouts, boiled young jackfruit, chayote, string bean, green bean, bitter melon, and corn.
* sliced - boiled potatoes
* uncooked - sliced cucumber, and lettuce.
* peeled and sliced boiled eggs
* sliced - fried tofu and tempeh
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.

Garnishes and rice

In Indonesia ''gado-gado'' is commonly served mixed with chopped ''lontong'' or '' ketupat'' (glutinous rice cake), or with steamed rice served separately. It is nearly always served with ''krupuk'', tapioca crackers, or '' emping'', Indonesian-style fried crackers made from '' melinjo''. A common garnish is ''bawang goreng'', a sprinkle of finely-chopped fried shallot.

Serving

There are three common ways of serving the ''gado-gado'' dish in Indonesia. Firstly, ''gado-gado'' is sometimes prepared at home as a traditional Indonesian dish. It is relatively easy to prepare and cook, which is part of the reason why ''gado-gado'' can be commonly found in Indonesian households. Secondly, some street vendors and '' warungs'' in Indonesia are known to sell ''gado-gado''. However, different cities may serve different variations of ''gado-gado'' depending on the region. Thirdly, ''gado-gado'' can also be found in restaurants that serve Indonesian cuisine. Amongst many Indonesian restaurants, ''gado-gado'' is a relatively common dish, because it is popular in Indonesia.

See also

* '' Ketoprak Jakarta''
* '' Lawar''
* '' Urap''
* '' Kuluban''

References

{{Salads

Indonesian salads
National dishes
Vegetable dishes
Vegetarian dishes of Indonesia
Street food in Indonesia