Why it works: Flour and tofu match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 8% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 350 recipes. Both carry isobutyraldehyde, which smells malty, green. The science ↓
Ukoy
Ingredients
Directions
Make the batter
Strain the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, and pepper.
Add the atsuete water, shrimp broth, and egg, then mix well.
Fry the fritters
In a saucer, add bean sprouts, chopped onions, tofu, and shrimps.
Measure 1/3 cup of the batter and pour into the saucer.
Heat cooking oil in a pan.
Pour the batter mixture into the hot oil.
Fry until crispy and golden brown.
Serve
Prepare a sauce of vinegar, crushed garlic, salt, and pepper.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 7 of 9 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 7 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Shrimp | 100g cooked | 99 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Tofu | 100g firm | 76 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Water | not in our table | 0 |
| Bean | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Flour + tofutop 8% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together350 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Onion + tofutop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together729 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
-
Pepper + oniontop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together68,474 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Shrimp + oniontop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,437 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
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Flour + eggtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together106,462 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
Flour and egg barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 106,462 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Flour
- Forms the main structure of the batter that holds the fritter together.
- Cornstarch
- Makes the fritter crisp by adding a light, crunchy texture when fried.
- Baking powder
- Releases gas during frying so the batter puffs and becomes lighter.
- Egg
- Binds the batter ingredients together and adds richness to the structure.
- Bean sprouts
- Add moisture and a crisp, fresh texture inside the fritter.
The step that matters
Fry until crispy and golden brown. The oil must be hot enough when the batter goes in. Cool oil lets the batter soak up grease and turn soggy, while properly hot oil sets the outside quickly and browns it.
Swap the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (flour, pepper, shrimp, egg, tofu):
- Welsh onionfits better
- Chivefits better
- Spinachfits better
- Onionthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against flour, pepper, shrimp, egg, tofu. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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