Why it works: Clove and cinnamon match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 14,189 recipes. Both carry ethyl cinnamate, which smells sweet, balsamic. The science ↓
Devil Chicken
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the chicken
Clean and cut the chicken into medium-sized pieces.
Grind all the ingredients together into a fine thick gravy.
Apply this on the chicken pieces and let it marinate for an hour.
Cook and fry
Cook the chicken pieces along with the gravy until it is cooked and becomes dry.
Cool the chicken pieces and then deep-fry them.
If you want the chicken pieces to be crisp, roll them in corn flour before frying.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 11 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Coconut | 1/2 cup shredded (40g) | 283 |
| Chicken | 100g cooked | 165 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Turmeric | 1 tsp ground (3g) | 9 |
| Clove | 1 tsp ground (2g) | 7 |
| Cinnamon | 1 tsp ground (2.6g) | 6 |
| Cardamom | 1 tsp ground (2g) | 6 |
| Garlic | 1 clove (3g) | 4 |
| Ginger | 1 tsp grated fresh (2g) | 2 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 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.
-
Clove + cinnamontop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together14,189 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl cinnamate (sweet, balsamic).
-
Cinnamon + cardamomtop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,299 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Clove + cardamomtop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,114 recipes
Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).
-
Ginger + cardamomtop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,114 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Ginger + cinnamontop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together6,380 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Chicken
- Provides the protein and bulk of the dish, cooked through and then fried.
- Red chillies
- Supply heat and colour to the ground gravy that coats the chicken.
- Small onions
- Add body and sweetness to the gravy as they cook down.
- Garlic
- Adds pungent aroma and savoury depth to the marinade.
- Coconut
- Adds richness and a mild sweetness that helps the gravy cling to the chicken.
- Corn flour (in the method)
- Forms a light coating that makes the chicken pieces crisp when fried.
The step that matters
Cooking the chicken in the gravy until dry. If the gravy is not reduced fully, the chicken stays wet and the coating will not cling or crisp well. Cooking until the moisture evaporates lets the spices concentrate and cling to the meat before frying.
Swap the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (chicken, coconut, ginger, garlic, clove, cinnamon, cardamom):
- Sweet potatofits better
- Carrotfits better
- Capsicumfits better
- Onionthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against chicken, coconut, ginger, garlic, clove, cinnamon, cardamom. 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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