If you're looking for a satisfying meal that combines plenty of vegetables with bold flavours, gado-gado deserves a place on your menu. This traditional Indonesian salad is known for its colourful ingredients and creamy peanut dressing.

Unlike many familiar salads, gado-gado brings together cooked and fresh vegetables, making it both filling and refreshing. Potatoes add substance, eggs provide protein, and a fragrant sauce ties everything together.

Inspired by a recipe from food writer Georgina Hayden, this version features sweetcorn, green beans, spinach and a coconut-enriched peanut dressing.

What Makes Gado-Gado Special?

Gado-gado is a popular Indonesian dish whose name is often associated with a mixture of ingredients. Its exact composition varies depending on the region and personal preferences.

Traditional versions may contain cabbage, cucumber, bean sprouts, tofu, tempeh and boiled eggs. The defining element is usually a peanut-based sauce with a balance of sweetness, saltiness and acidity.

This interpretation uses sweetcorn for a naturally sweet contrast to the savoury dressing. Coconut milk gives the sauce a smooth consistency, while lime adds freshness.

Ingredients For The Peanut Sauce

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Servings: 4

2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil

1 tablespoon red Thai curry paste

80 g unsweetened peanut butter, smooth or crunchy

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon soft light brown sugar

200 ml coconut milk

Juice of 1 lime

Sea salt, to taste

Ground white pepper, to taste

Ingredients For The Salad

300 g baby potatoes

4 large eggs

150 g green beans, trimmed

2 fresh corn cobs

100 g baby spinach

Half a bunch of fresh coriander

1 lime, cut into wedges

How To Prepare The Dressing

Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the curry paste and stir for approximately two minutes, allowing the spices to release their aroma without burning.

Mix in the peanut butter, soy sauce, brown sugar and 175 ml of coconut milk. Stir until the mixture becomes smooth and evenly combined.

Season lightly with salt and white pepper, remembering that soy sauce already contains salt.

Add the lime juice and cook over low heat for approximately five minutes, stirring regularly. The sauce should become thick and creamy.

Pour in the remaining 25 ml of coconut milk, warm for another minute and remove from the heat. Allow the dressing to cool slightly before serving.

Preparing The Vegetables And Eggs

Place the potatoes in a saucepan of cold, lightly salted water. Bring to a boil and cook for approximately 15 minutes, or until a fork slides easily into the centre.

In another saucepan, boil the eggs for seven minutes to achieve yolks that are just set. Transfer them to cold water, then peel and cut into quarters.

Cook the green beans in boiling water for approximately six minutes, until tender but still pleasantly firm.

Boil the corn cobs for five minutes. Once cool enough to handle, stand each cob upright and carefully slice off the kernels.

Rinse and dry the spinach. Chop the coriander leaves and prepare the lime wedges.

How To Assemble The Salad

Divide the potatoes, green beans, sweetcorn and spinach between four bowls. Arrange the ingredients in separate sections to create an attractive contrast of colours. Add one quartered egg to each serving, then spoon over the peanut dressing. Finish with chopped coriander and a wedge of lime. The extra citrus juice helps balance the richness of the sauce.

Simple Ways To Adapt The Recipe

For a more substantial meal, add lightly fried tofu or tempeh. Thinly sliced cucumber, shredded cabbage or blanched bean sprouts can provide additional crunch. If the dressing becomes too thick as it cools, loosen it with a little warm water.

For a vegetarian version, check that the curry paste contains no shrimp or fish ingredients. People with peanut allergies should avoid the peanut dressing and choose a suitable alternative.

The salad is best assembled shortly before serving, although the cooked vegetables and dressing can be prepared in advance and refrigerated separately.