Why it works: Rice and peas match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 4% of all ingredient pairs, and 1,405 recipes mention both. Both carry 2,4-nonadienal, which smells fatty, green. The science ↓
The recipe
30 servingsIngredients
Contains: egg, peanut, soy (auto-detected from the ingredients and method; we can miss things, so check labels)
Directions
Method written by CompKitchen from the ingredient list. Not the original author's method, not kitchen-tested.
Heat a portion of the peanut oil in a very large wok or wide pan over high heat until shimmering.
Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Pour a batch into the hot oil and stir gently for about 2 minutes until just set. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining eggs in batches.
Add a little more peanut oil to the pan, then add the cubed ham and stir-fry for about 3 minutes until heated through and lightly browned. Remove from the pan.
Add more peanut oil to the pan, then add the cold cooked rice. Break up any clumps and stir-fry over high heat for about 5 minutes until hot throughout.
Add the thawed peas and stir-fry for about 2 minutes until heated through.
Return the eggs and ham to the pan. Pour in the soy sauce and toss for about 2 minutes until everything is evenly coloured and hot.
Scatter in the chopped green onion, toss for about 1 minute, then serve hot.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much aroma chemistry they share, and how many recipes mention both.
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Rice + peastop 4% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together1,405 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-nonadienal (fatty, green).
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Rice + oniontop 5% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together9,990 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
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Peas + oniontop 7% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together5,460 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
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Rice + hamtop 7% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together477 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (popcorn, roasted).
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Peanut oil + oniontop 8% of all pairsAroma overlaplowMentioned together540 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
Flavor stand-ins for the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (peanut oil, egg, rice, peas, ham, sauce):
- Asparagusbetter flavor fit
- Capsicumbetter flavor fit
- Cucumberbetter flavor fit
- Onionthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against peanut oil, egg, rice, peas, ham, sauce. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes. This compares flavor only: it does not check the job the ingredient does in the dish (bulk, moisture, acidity, structure).
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