Gado-gado literally means 'mix-mix', and that's exactly the charm of it — a hearty Indonesian salad of blanched vegetables, potatoes, boiled eggs, fried tofu and tempeh, all brought together by a rich, addictive peanut sauce.
It's one of the world's great salads because it actually fills you up. The warm peanut sauce, sweetened with kecap manis and sharpened with tamarind, turns humble veggies into a proper meal.
At home it's wonderfully flexible. Use the vegetables you have, make the sauce in one saucepan, and pile everything onto a platter for people to help themselves. Prawn crackers on the side are non-negotiable in our book.
