Gado Gado

Gado Gado Indonesian Salad
prep time: 00:45 serves: 3-4 cost: $6.25 vegetarian
	I had gado gado for the first time at the only Indonesian restaurant in Tokyo in 1989, and it was a gourmand's epiphany. You can vary which vegetables you put into this. Just make sure the sauce is noticeably coconutty, peanutty, sweet, sour and hot, and you'll knock everyone's socks off.
1/2 c thinly sliced onions 1/4 t salt 3/4 c oil 1 cake tofu, drained 1 c string beans, cut into 2" pieces 1 c julienne-sliced carrots 2 c shredded cabbage 1 c fresh bean sprouts sauce: 1 t shrimp paste 1 t crushed fresh or dry hot chili 1 c coconut milk 2 t sugar 1 t salt 1 t soy sauce 3 t lemon juice 3/4 c crunchy peanut butter 1 c cooked and sliced potatoes 1 c sliced cucumber 1 tomato 2 hard boiled eggs	Sprinkle onions with salt, mix well and let stand for 5 minutes. Turn out the onions on a paper towel and squeeze the liquid gently out. Heat 1/2 c of the oil in a wok over medium-low and, when hot, fry the onions for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently so that they will brown slowly and evenly. When they are light brown, remove them quickly from the oil, and drain them for at least fifteen minutes on paper towels. Meanwhile, add the remaining 1/4 c oil to the wok and heat. Cut tofu into 9 pieces and fry until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and set aside. Boil the string beans and carrots (julienne-sliced means matchstick-sliced) for 3 minutes. Rinse under cold water, drain well and set aside. Boil the cabbage and bean sprouts for 2 minutes, drain well and set aside to cool. Put all the sauce ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook over low heat for about 5 minutes. Add 2 or 3 T of water to the sauce if it appears too thick. Keep it warm until ready to use. Arrange the vegetables in layers in a large serving dish: cabbage on the bottom, topped by a layer of string beans, then carrots, potatoes, cucumber and bean sprouts on the top. Scatter the tofu cubes over the bean sprouts, and decorate around the edge with alternate slices of tomato and egg. (The authors are sure that you recall that to hard-boil an egg you put it in water, boil the water, simmer for 17 minutes, and then flush in cold water.) Pour the warm sauce over and sprinkle on the crispy onions. Variations: You can use cauliflower, broccoli, spinach, mushrooms, or any other vegetables you like. They shouldn't be overcooked.