Mira Kapoor loves to experiment with her diet and often tries new dishes and food items to add variety and surprise her taste buds. As such, she was recently seen relishing the delectable gado gado salad. “Gado Gado,” she captioned her Instagram Story. Take a look.

What is gado gado?

The Indonesian salad prepared with peanut sauce and a mix of vegetables is a delight. “It is a nutritious and filling alternative for individuals who prefer plant-based meals,” DT Sushma PS, chief dietician, Jindal Naturecure Institute, Bangalore, told indianexpress.com.

It usually comprises boiled or blanched vegetables such as potatoes, green beans, cabbage, carrots, and bean sprouts and is served with a peanut sauce dressing, tofu, soybeans, and rice cakes are other vegetable components. “Traditionally, it is made in a mortar and pestle,” informed Khushboo Sahijwani Matta (Msc.), diet and nutrition consultant.

According to Sushma, the gado gado salad is a nutritious and appetising dish with several health advantages. Some of these benefits include:

Vegetable-rich: Gado gado salad is loaded with numerous vegetables, making it rich in a variety of vitamins, minerals, and fibre. These nutrients are necessary for optimum health and can help lower the risk of chronic illnesses.

Good source of protein: It is a nutritious and filling alternative for individuals who prefer plant-based meals. Gado gado salad is rich in protein-rich foods like tofu, tempeh, and peanuts.

Low-calorie: The salad is normally low in calories, making it an excellent choice for people attempting to lose or maintain a healthy weight.

Healthy fats: The peanut sauce used provides healthy fats that are necessary for cognitive function, good skin, and weight maintenance.

Vegan-friendly: Gado gado salad is an excellent choice for vegetarians and vegans because it includes no animal ingredients.

Ingredients

Peanuts
Coconut sugar or palm sugar or brown sugar
Birds eye chillies
Salt
Tamarind juice
Lime juice
Salt to taste
Water to dilute

Method

*Grind all the dry ingredients and assemble them in a bowl. To this, add tamarind paste, lime juice, and water.

How to add the vegetables

*Purple cabbage, green cabbage, corn, spinach, carrots, string beans, green beans, (can vary as per choice ) are shredded, and slightly blanched.
*Boiled potatoes, cucumber, tomatoes and lettuce, tofu, or eggs can also be added as a protein option.
*All the ingredients are combined and served fresh.

How to serve

In Indonesia, it is normally served with sticky or steamed rice or tapioca crackers, said Matta.