Most of my weeknight dinners are answers to the question of ‘how can I shove as many vegetables into my face in the most delicious manner?’

Miso coconut broth (coming to Cake for Breakfast soon!) is one answer and my version of Gado Gado is another. It also fits my ideal meal format of having a variety of differently prepared elements from which everyone chooses and combines to make their own idea of delicious.

Peanut sauce, tofu, brown rice & all the vegetables you can eat

Makes enough for 4 servings

For the rice:

brown basmati rice 1 cup

water 2 cups

Place brown rice and water into a medium-sized saucepan, cover with a lid and bring to boil and then reduce heat to low. Cook until ‘tunnels’ have appeared on surface of the rice and most of the liquid has been absorbed; if you’re not sure you can quickly remove the lid, tilt the pan and if you see water, keep cooking the rice for a while longer. Turn off heat and leave rice to sit in the covered saucepan.

For the peanut sauce:

Recipe by Nadia Lim

lemongrass 2 stalks, chopped (discard the stringy ends)

fresh ginger 3cm piece, grated

cumin seeds ½ teaspoon

coriander seeds ½ teaspoon

chilli paste 2 tablespoons (check it’s gluten free if that’s a concern)

oil 2 tablespoons

roasted peanuts 150g

water ½ – 3/4 cup

tamarind pulp 2 tablespoons

boiling water 1/2 cup 

brown sugar 2-3 tablespoons

tamari or soy sauce to taste (check it’s gluten free if that’s a concern)

Toast cumin and coriander seeds in a dry (no oil) frying pan over a medium heat until fragrant, and then grind in a mortar and pestle.

Make tamarind juice by covering tamarind pulp with 1/2 cup of boiling water. Leave to stand for five minutes, then push through a sieve to remove seeds. Discard seeds and reserve tamarind juice. 

Place lemongrass, ginger, ground cumin/coriander and chilli into a food processor and blend until smooth. Heat oil in a frying pan and fry the spice paste for a few minutes until fragrant. Blitz the peanuts in the food processor (no need to clean it) and add to the spice mix along with 1/2 cup of water, tamarind juice and sugar. Season with tamari/soy sauce and simmer until thick – about five minutes, adding more water if the sauce gets too thick. Scrape peanut sauce into a serving bowl and wipe pan clean.

For the tofu:

oil a slosh

firm tofu 250g, sliced 

Add oil to wiped-clean frying pan you cooked the peanut sauce in and fry the tofu until browned and set aside.

For the vegetables (all or any combination):

red, green or savoy cabbage ¼, sliced thinly using a mandolin

carrots or beetroot 2, julienned or grated

green beans a handful, fresh or frozen, and blanched in boiling water

kumara 1 medium, diced and steamed

bean sprouts a handful

telegraph cucumber 1/2, peeled, halved and cut into thick slices

spring onions 1-2, thinly sliced

coriander a handful, chopped

toasted peanuts ½ cup, roughly chopped

a lime, cut into quarters

To serve:

Arrange prepared vegetables, coriander, chopped peanuts, lime quarters, pan-fried tofu, brown rice and peanut sauce into serving bowls or onto a large platter. Grab bowls and chopsticks and get stuck in.