Gado-Gado

Gado-gado, the classic Indonesian salad, was one of several scrumptious dishes that my friend Debra and I learned to simultaneously prepare and consume this evening when we attended Ciao Thyme's "Bite of Bali" cooking class.

The gado-gado that I've had in the past used fish sauce and lots of dried shrimp. Both these ingredients were omitted in tonight's version for simplicity, and to better suit the western palette. Nevertheless, it was still very, very flavorful and I intend to make this gado-gado along with its trusty companion, peanut sauce for a weekend meal, perhaps for Superbowl Sunday?

In addition to the salad, we enjoyed crispy green beans and coconut salad, chicken in coconut curry, and steamed ahi tuna in banana leaves. What a fun and delicious evening! This was my second class at Ciao Thyme, but I'll certainly be back for seconds, and thirds.