Why it works: Egg and flour are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 15% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 106,462 recipes. Both carry isobutyraldehyde, which smells malty, green. The science ↓
Crispy Kangkong
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Remove the kangkong leaves, wash in water, and dry.
Make the batter
Mix the egg, water, cornstarch, flour, salt and pepper in a bowl.
Add the kangkong leaves and mix until all the leaves are coated with the batter.
Fry and drain
Heat cooking oil in a pan and fry the leaves until crispy and golden brown.
Strain the cooked pieces for excess oil.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 5 of 6 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 5 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Water | 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.
-
Egg + flourtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together106,462 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Pepper + flourtop 19% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together50,459 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Egg + peppertop 33% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together50,580 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Egg and flour 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
- Cornstarch
- Forms a light, brittle coating that turns crisp when fried.
- All-purpose flour
- Adds structure to the batter and helps it cling to the leaves.
- Egg
- Binds the batter so it coats the leaves evenly.
- Cold water
- Keeps the batter thin and light, so the coating fries up crisp rather than heavy.
The step that matters
Frying the coated leaves until crispy and golden brown. The oil must be hot enough to set the batter quickly; if it is too cool, the coating absorbs oil and turns greasy and soggy instead of crisp.
“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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