Gado Gado

Difficulty: BE IN A COOKING MOOD

Special Menu: Tour of Asia

Lontong
2 c jasmine rice, soaked overnight
6-8 banana leaves, at least 1 1/2 ft wide, washed
toothpicks

roll banana leaf into a cylinder with about a 2 inch wide opening.
trim off bottom and top with scissors, then fold in sides of one end and pinch shut, secure with toothpick.
fill leaf halfway with rice, pinch fold top and secure with toothpick.

boil in deep pot of well salted water with a couple bay leaves, submerged, for 3 hours.
Remove and allow to cool before opening.

Peanut Sauce
1 c peanuts fried for 5-10 minutes in a bit of oil
2 T brown sugar
2 green chilis, seeded
1 t tamarind paste
1 squeeze lime juice
2 cloves garlic, peeled
3/4 c coconut milk
1/2 T tamari
water to smooth
salt to taste

transfer fried peanuts into food proccessor, add remaning ingredients and whir, adding water as needed to reach desired thickness, season with salt to taste.

Long Beans
add a bit of oil to a small pan and saute long beans and a chopped chili pepper together, season with a bit of tamari, then add 1/2 c water, cover, and simmer until beans are dark and cooked.

Fresh vegetable prep for salad:
Chinese spinach
shredded cabbage
bean sprouts
thinly sliced carrots
thinly sliced cucumber
radishes, quartered

For frying:
tofu cubes
tempeh cubes
potato slices

Fry at 350
2 mins for tofu
2 mins for tempeh
3-4 mins for potato slices

drain on paper towels and season with salt

Have at hand:
Pre-packaged fried shallots
Garlic Krupuk crackers
Peanut Sauce
Sliced lontong
sliced green onion
cilantro
lime wedges

PHEW! now assemble!

make a bed of cabbage and spinach, then add handfuls of bean sprouts, carrots, cucumbers, and radishes. Add cooked components: lontong, tempeh, tofu, long beans, and potatoes. Garnish with peanut sauce, shallots, crackers, green onion, cilantro, and lime wedges.