Some kind of Gado-Gado (Indonesian)

The reason I call this salad "Some Kind of Gado-Gado" is that this was the first Gado-Gado I ever cooked or ate, and after I saw this Gado-Gado recipe in Maangchi's Gapshida serie (video here if you're interested: http://youtu.be/_wIVmPSotow) and it's really different.  The sauce is creamier, doesn't have lemongrass, and the vegetables are a WIDE varieties of leafy greens and green vegetables.  What my recipe and Maangchi's friend's recipe have in common: a peanut sauce, blanched vegetables and tofu.  That's about it.  I thought maybe it's a regional thing and Gado-Gado is prepared in different ways in different parts of Indonesia?  I took this recipe from Ginger and Lemongrass by Leemei Tan, whose recipes seem pretty authentic to me. Maybe my Gado-Gado is a totally different salad. Wether this is really a Gado-Gado or not, this is a pretty kickass recipe, and easy. Delicious and light for a warm summer day! With my super simplified version of this recipe, it's super convenient.  Don't be shy, try it!

(serves 4)

Gado-Gado paste, chop everything roughly then grind everything together in a food processor or mortar:

-3 red bird's eye chillies, seeded

-3 garlic cloves

-5 shallots

-3cm peeled ginger

-white part of 1 lemongrass stalk

-1tsp of shrimp paste that you'll fold in a parchment paper piece and bake for 5 minutes at 400F in the oven for better aroma

And then:

-1 recipe Gado-Gado paste

-150g skinned, chopped or crushed, roasted peanuts, then grinded with a mortar or coffee grinder or processor into a fine powder with little bits (this time I only had almonds with skins, which worked fine.  Experiment with different nuts or combinations of nuts!)

-1tbsp lime juice

-250mL water

-2tbsp cane or brown sugar

-100g firm tofu in slices roasted in a pan until golden (you could use tempeh too, I'm not a fan of tofu so I replaced it with shrimps!)

-150g green beans, blanched, rinsed in cold water and strained well

-150g bean sprouts, blanched, rinsed in cold water and strained well

-some cucumber, seeded and sliced in half moons or cut into matchsticks

-1 small carrot cut into tiny matchsticks

-2 hard-boiled eggs cut into slices or quarters

-salt

-shrimp chips (kropek or krupuk if you can get them, if not any shrimp chips will work)

In a non-stick pan, with a little oil, cook the paste on medium-high for 10 minutes until fragrant, mixing every once in a while.  Add the lime juice, water, sugar, salt to taste and peanuts.  Bring to a boil then remove from the stove but keep warm.

Plate the tofu and all the vegetables in an appetizing manner, serve with the sauce separately for presentation.  To eat, mix everything, including the sauce but not the chips, together.  You can also put some salad on the chips to enjoy!