The visiting vegetarians always are a challenge to cook for. I like it, certainly, especially I cook far less than I used to, so when I come across something that seems like it would work, I bookmark it for later.
I found this via Leite’s Culinaria http://leitesculinaria.com/, where it was titled “Healthy Gado Gado Salad”. I’m sorry to say that adjective healthy just doesn’t do much for me, overall, but the gado gado certainly caught my attention. Gado gado is Indonesian and literally translates as “mixed”, but it’s understood to refer to a peanut sauce. I vaguely recall first meeting it at the old Bobby’s Creole’s second iteration, the one in Maplewood, on some chicken.
This is almost vegan – one could skip the eggs and sub agave syrup for the honey – or do as I did, and put out some cold chicken for the meat eaters at the table. I can see pork or shrimp in that role, too.
The original author, Sarah Waldman, asks for medium- or short-grain brown rice in this. All I had was long-grain, but it worked fine. The texture of the brown rice is quite satisfying. I cooked it the day before, cooled it and then refrigerated it, ditto the vegetables, eggs and dressing, so I could assemble it when the crew arrived at my house. The quantities of the vegetables, eggs and mango are up to you. Or you can wing it.
1 ½ cups uncooked brown rice
about 8 cups cold water
1 Tbs. Unsalted butter or fat of your choice
1 tsp. kosher salt (use less if all you have is regular salt)
4-8 large hard-cooked eggs
4 carrots, cut into matchsticks or shaved into ribbons with a vegetable peeler.
¼ red cabbage, thinly sliced
2 mangoes, peeled, pitted and thinly sliced
1 c. cilantro leaves
1 c. dry-roasted peanuts, chopped
for the sauce:
2 cloves garlic
¼ c. creamy peanut butter
¼ c. sesame seeds (I suspect you could sub a couple of tablespoons of tahini)
5 Tbs. soy sauce
2 Tbs. rice vinegar
1 Tbs. honey
1 Tbs. grated or minced fresh gingerroot
5 Tbs. (about) warm water
I have never cooked brown rice like pasta before, but the author suggested it, starting it in cold water and cooking for about 30 minutes until tender. Drain it, return it to the pan, add the chosen fat and the salt and stir well. Cover until you’re ready to serve the salad, or chill it for later use. Fluff before using.
For the sauce, use a blender. Toss the garlic in while the blades are running. When they’re chopped some, add the rest of the ingredients except for the water and whizz until smooth or smoothish. Dilute with the water – it seemed a bit thin with the full amount but after refrigeration, it was about right. If you refrigerate it, give it several stirs with a fork before using, because it does separate.
Slice the eggs the way you’d like – I did quarters – and consider how to assemble the salad. I did a platter, starting with the rice, then the cabbage and the carrots in layers. I laid out the sliced mango around the pile, put the eggs around the edge, dribbled on some dressing, and showered it with the peanuts and the cilantro. Extra dressing was available as needed. And there was cold chicken, as I said.
This serves 4-6, I suspect. One might consider a little sriracha in the dressing or using coconut milk for added creaminess in it, for instance, but it’s awfully good, and it’ll keep for several days in the refrigerator.
Comments
One response
Leite’s Culinaria is a great resource. Sounds like a great hot weather meal.
I’ll bet you could substitute farro or Fregula for the rice.