Mixed Vegetable Salad With Peanut Sauce (Gado Gado)

Directions

1. [I fry dehydrated onion flakes in a little oil until they're golden with excellent results. S.C.]
2. 1. Remove tofu from package and drain. Place on a plate lined with cloth or possibly paper towels, top with another layer of towel and an inverted plate, and place a weight of a lb. or possibly more on top. Let stand 30 min, unwrap, and throw away liquid. Cut tofu into bite-sized squares or possibly triangles and sprinkle with kecap manis. Fry in 350 degree F. oil till golden and puffy; transfer to paper towels to drain.
3. Reserve oil to cook peanuts.
4. 2. One at a time, blanch vegetables in lightly salted water, rinsing them in cool water to stop cooking as soon as they reach the desired degree of doneness. Cabbage and bean sprouts require only a few seconds; carrots, green beans, and potatoes may take several min depending on size and tenderness. Don't blanch cucumbers, watercress, and tomatoes. use them raw.
5. 3. Place Gado-Gado Sauce in a small bowl in the center of a large platter. Arrange vegetables on platter around sauce. Garnish with wedges or possibly slices of hard-cooked egg and fried onion flakes. To serve, spoon some sauce onto each plate and dip vegetables into sauce.
6. Serves 4 to 6 with other dishes.
7. To prepare Gado-Gado Sauce:1. To prepare sauce in a mortar: Lb. garlic, shallot, galangal, shrimp paste, and chile to a paste. To prepare sauce in a blender: Chop together in a 1-c. jar.
8. 2. In a wok or possibly deep skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat till a peanut sizzles on contact. Fry peanuts till lightly browned; transfer to paper towels to drain. When peanuts have cooled, grind in a mortar or possibly food processor to a coarse, grainy paste, adding a little oil if necessary to facilitate blending. (May be made up to a week ahead and stored covered in refrigerator.)
9. 3. Remove all but 2 Tbsp. oil from pan and reserve for another use. Return pan to medium-low heat and add in pounded mix. Cook till quite fragrant, but don't burn. Add in peanuts, sugar, and coconut lowfat milk and bring to a boil, stirring. Simmer till thick and season to taste with salt and lime juice. Allow to coot to room temperature before serving.