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Black Rice Gado Gado Salad

This street food-inspired, Indonesian salad features a medley of vegetables, sautéed tofu and black rice atop a delicious lemongrass peanut sauce. It makes for a stunning edible ‘centrepiece’ for any table and a great vegetarian meal.

Black Rice Gado Gado Salad




Yield
Makes 4-6 servings


Ingredients

Spicy Lemongrass Peanut Sauce:

  • 2 stalks lemongrass
  • ¼ cup (60 mL) canned light coconut milk
  • 2 tbsp (30 mL) peanut butter
  • 2 tbsp (30 mL) red rice vinegar
  • 2 tbsp (30 mL) lime juice
  • 2 tbsp (30 mL) fish sauce
  • 1 tbsp (15 mL) sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp (15 mL) coconut sugar
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • ½ tsp (2 mL) salt
  • 1 red chili, seeded and coarsely chopped
  • ½ cup (125 mL) roasted peanuts (unsalted)

Salad:

  • 1 small bunch kale
  • 3 cups (750 mL) cooked U.S. black japonica rice
  • 10 oz (300 g) firm tofu, cubed
  • 1 tsp (5 mL) coconut oil
  • 1 cup (250 mL) blanched green beans
  • 1 cup (250 mL) julienned or shredded carrot
  • 1 cup (250 mL) mixed microgreens
  • 1 cup (250 mL) shredded red cabbage
  • 1 cup (250 mL) sliced baby cucumber
  • 10 sesame rice crackers, crushed

Directions

Spicy Lemongrass Peanut Sauce:

  1. Prepare lemongrass by peeling off 3 – 4 tough outer layers, slice off the woody top half of stalk and 1-inch (2.5 cm) from the bottom and discard. You should be left with a tender core that can be easily pierced with your thumbnail.
  2. Slice lemongrass into thin rounds and place in a food processor along with coconut milk, peanut butter, rice vinegar, lime juice, fish sauce, sesame oil, coconut sugar, garlic, salt and chili; pulse until finely chopped and emulsified. Add peanuts into sauce and continue pulsing until peanuts resemble coarse crumbs.

Salad:

  1. Wash and thinly slice kale leaves, set aside. Cut tender stems into ½” thick pieces. Blanch in a pot of boiling, salted water; cool and dry.
  2. Sauté tofu cubes with coconut oil until sides are golden. Spread sauce on a large platter or on individual salad plates; arrange rice, vegetables and tofu in groupings on platter or plates. If using a platter, toss all together just before serving. Sprinkle with crushed rice crackers.

Notes

Gluten-free if fish sauce, rice vinegar and light coconut milk used are gluten-free.

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