Serves 6 in 60 minutes

Pupu is the Hawaiian term for any kind of finger food, appetizer, or snack. If you’re looking for a yummy plant-based platter to share at parties, then meet “gado-gado” – the Indonesian “mix-mix” salad. I first tasted gado-gado in Bali during an “around the world” trip decades ago and loved it so much I began to work up my own version once home.

The star of this dish is the spicy peanut sauce into which the veggies are dipped. This creamy dreamy sauce made with elaborate blend of shallots, ginger, garlic, lemongrass, chiles, tamarind, galanga, shrimp paste, and more. Here’s my hack to make it fast and easy: use fresh ground peanut butter and a little red Thai curry paste, which contains most all the spices, saving you time, energy, and money on rare ingredients.

Plus, gado-gado the easy way to get your friends and family to gobble down the rainbow spectrum of veggies, from cucumbers and red cabbage to carrots, broccoli, hard-boiled eggs, and potatoes, all nested around the heart-healthy peanut sauce.

Taste the sauce towards the end and adjust the balance of sweet, sour, salty and spicy to your liking. If you can’t handle the heat, go a little lighter on the curry paste. Sensitive to peanuts? Sub cashews. This sauce can be made in advance so the flavors marry and the veggies are all that’s left to prep on game day. You and your guests will enjoy the rich blend of flavors, colors, and anti-inflammatory phytonutrients that gado-gado brings to the table!

Make the peanut sauce:

1 tablespoon avocado or other neutral flavored oil

½ cup shallots, minced

2 teaspoons fresh ginger root, minced

2 teaspoons fresh garlic, minced

½ - ¾ cup organic coconut cream (from the top of a can of coconut milk)

½ cup organic peanut butter

1 tablespoon red Thai curry paste (Thai Kitchen brand is not too hot)

1 tablespoon gluten-free soy sauce or tamari

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoons lime juice and ½ teaspoon zest

½ cup water

Heat the oil in a small pan over medium temp and sauté the shallots for 3 minutes. Add the minced garlic and ginger and sauté another minute. Stir in the coconut cream and remaining ingredients for the sauce and continue to cook for 5 minutes, adding water or coconut milk as needed to create a sauce with the consistency of applesauce. Allow it to cool slightly, then transfer the sauce to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Pour the sauce into a small serving bowl, retaining some to drizzle over the veggies. Keep refrigerated if making in advance and allow to warm to room temp before serving.

Salad Ingredients:

6 hard-boiled eggs, cut in half

6 small, Yukon gold potatoes, boiled then cut in half

2 cups each broccoli florets, green beans, and/or asparagus

2 cups carrots, cut diagonally

2 cups spinach

2 cups Mung bean sprouts

3 Persian cucumbers, sliced diagonally

1 small head purple cabbage, torn apart into bite sized leaves

Garnish:

½ cup cilantro leaves

½ cup crushed red-skinned peanuts (organic if possible)

Prep the hard-boiled eggs and potatoes and cut in half when cooled. Blanch (or steam) the carrots, broccoli, green beans, or asparagus until al dente: To blanch, submerge the veggies in boiling water for 2-3 minutes then quickly plunge into ice-cold water for one minute to halt the cooking process. Remove and drain well. They should be al dente and not mushy.

Compose the salad: On a large platter, place a small bowl filled with the spicy peanut sauce. Arrange the raw and cooked veggies around the bowl. Garnish with chopped peanuts and cilantro. Reserve remaining sauce to drizzle over the salad. Enjoy in great health!