Bogor-Style Spicy Peanut Vegetable Salad

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Lotek Bogor is a beloved vegetable salad from the city of Bogor in West Java, featuring blanched greens, fried tofu and tempeh, and rice cakes under a generous pour of warm, sweet-spicy peanut sauce. The sauce is the heart of the dish — ground roasted peanuts simmered with chili, palm sugar, tamarind, and aromatic shallots into a rich, glossy coating. Every bite balances crunch, creaminess, sweetness, and heat.

Nutrition Facts

Per serving (estimated)

• 495 kcalCalories
• 28 gFat
• 5 gSaturated Fat
• 38 gCarbs
• 8 gFiber
• 11 gSugar
• 21 gProtein
• 620 mgSodium
• 780 mgPotassium
• 180 mgCalcium
• 3.5 mgIron
• 28 mgVitamin C
• 145 mcgVitamin A

Ingredients

For the vegetables and proteins

• 4 cups water spinach (kangkung), trimmed
• 2 cups fresh bean sprouts, rinsed
• 8 long beans, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 1/2 cups shredded green cabbage
• 1 small cucumber, sliced into thin half-moons
• 1 cup cooked rice cake cubes (lontong or ketupat)
• 4 oz firm tofu, cubed and pan-fried until golden
• 4 oz tempeh, sliced 1/4-inch thick and pan-fried

For the Bogor peanut sauce

• 1 cup roasted unsalted peanuts, finely ground
• 4 medium shallots, peeled
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled
• 5 Thai bird's eye chilies, adjusted to taste
• 2 tbsp palm sugar, finely grated
• 1 tbsp tamarind paste
• 1 tsp shrimp paste (terasi), toasted until fragrant
• 3/4 cup warm water, plus more as needed

For serving

• 3 tbsp crispy fried shallots
• 1 lime, cut into wedges
• 2 oz emping (melinjo) chips, optional
• Steamed jasmine rice, optional

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil. Blanch the water spinach for 45 seconds, add the bean sprouts, and cook 20 seconds more; drain and refresh under cold running water.
2. Return the water to a boil and blanch the long beans and cabbage together for 2 minutes until just tender-crisp. Drain and arrange all the blanched vegetables with the cucumber and rice cake cubes on a large platter or four individual plates.
3. In a small food processor or using a heavy mortar, combine the peanuts, shallots, garlic, chilies, palm sugar, tamarind, and toasted shrimp paste. Pound or pulse to a coarse, fragrant paste, scraping the sides as needed.
4. Transfer the paste to a small saucepan, pour in the warm water, and stir to combine. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, for 8 to 10 minutes until the sauce darkens, thickens, and coats the back of a spoon; loosen with a splash of water if it becomes too stiff.
5. Tuck the fried tofu and tempeh among the vegetables, then spoon the warm peanut sauce generously over everything, making sure each portion is well coated.
6. Scatter the crispy fried shallots and emping chips across the top and serve immediately with lime wedges on the side. Squeeze fresh lime over each portion just before eating to cut through the rich sauce.

Cook’s Notes

• Lightly toast the raw peanuts in a dry skillet for 3 to 4 minutes before grinding to deepen their nutty aroma.
• Adjust the number of chilies to suit your heat tolerance; remove the seeds and membranes for a milder, kid-friendly sauce.
• The sauce thickens further as it cools, so keep a small ladle of hot water nearby to loosen it during assembly.
• If water spinach is unavailable, substitute with regular spinach or baby bok choy, blanched just until wilted (about 30 seconds).
• Lotek is traditionally enjoyed with the hands or a fork; the sauce clings best when the vegetables are served warm, not chilled.

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