Gado-Gado

Method

1. 1.Start with the peanut sauce — it keeps in the fridge for a few days, so I usually make a bigger batch. Toast the peanuts in a dry pan until they smell nutty, then pound or blitz them to a rough crumb.
2. 2.Fry the garlic, shallots and chillies in a little oil until soft, then stir in the peanuts, kecap manis, tamarind, palm sugar and a splash of water. Simmer gently until it's a thick, pourable sauce — taste and balance it with more tamarind if it's too sweet or more sugar if it's too sharp.
3. 3.Boil the potatoes until a knife slides in easily. Drain and let them cool enough to handle, then cut into thick slices.
4. 4.Blanch the green beans and cabbage briefly — I mean briefly, a minute at most — and drop them into cold water to keep their colour.
5. 5.Boil the eggs for seven minutes for a just-set yolk, then peel and halve them.
6. 6.Fry the tempeh and tofu in a little oil until both sides are golden and crisp.
7. 7.Arrange everything on a big platter in small groups — potatoes, beans, cabbage, beansprouts, cucumber, tempeh, tofu, eggs. Scatter over a handful of fried shallots if you have them.
8. 8.Spoon the warm peanut sauce generously over the top just before serving, or keep it in a bowl on the side so people can help themselves.

Notes