Indonesian gado gado

An Indonesian vegan dish built on whole ingredients.

Servings: 4
Active time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min

Organic sourcing

Tempeh and peanuts don't benefit much from being organic, but cucumbers and cabbage are on the Dirty Dozen, making organic worthwhile here.

Ingredients

• 200 g tempeh, sliced
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 200 g green beans, trimmed
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1 small cabbage, chopped
• 2 medium potatoes, boiled and sliced
• 2 cucumbers, sliced
• 200 g bean sprouts
• 1 cup peanuts, roasted
• 1 tbsp palm sugar
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 tbsp good-quality soy sauce
• 1-2 red chilies, chopped
• 100 ml warm water
• to taste sea salt

Method

1. Heat coconut oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced tempeh and fry until golden and crispy. Set aside.
2. Steam the green beans and carrots until tender-crisp. Set aside.
3. Blanch the cabbage briefly in boiling water and set aside.
4. Arrange potatoes, cucumbers, bean sprouts, and all other steamed or blanched vegetables on a large platter.
5. In a food processor, combine the roasted peanuts, palm sugar, lime juice, garlic, soy sauce, and chilies with warm water.
6. Blend until smooth, adding more water if needed to achieve a pourable consistency. Season with salt to taste.
7. Serve the vegetables and tempeh with the peanut sauce drizzled over the top, or serve the sauce on the side as a dip.

Notes

• For extra spice, increase the amount of red chilies.
• Use sweet potatoes instead of regular potatoes for a different flavor.
• Leftover peanut sauce can be stored in the fridge for up to a week.

Source

Paraphrased from the culinary canon by Organic.is editors, 2026. Classic Indonesian recipe. If you'd like a specific source for further reading, ask Tinni (bottom-right) for a book recommendation.