Why it works: Garlic and onion match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 29,058 recipes. Both carry furaneol, which smells caramel, strawberry. The science ↓
Tofu Chili
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the tofu
Cut tofu into bite-size pieces and freeze overnight.
The next day, thaw tofu for about 1 hour.
Cook the chili
Mix soy sauce, tomato paste, corn oil, garlic powder and liquid and add thawed tofu; heat in a skillet.
In a separate skillet, sauté green pepper, onions and garlic in oil until onions turn clear.
Put all ingredients in a pot and simmer together.
You may have to add more liquid.
Cook for 20 to 40 minutes.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 12 of 14 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 12 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Pinto Bean | 1/2 cup (86g) canned | 122 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Corn Oil | 1/2 cup kernels (82g) | 77 |
| Tofu | 100g firm | 76 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Bell Pepper | 1 medium (119g) | 31 |
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
| Soy Sauce | 1 tbsp (15ml) | 9 |
| Chili | 1 tsp (2.7g) | 8 |
| Cumin | 1 tsp ground (2.1g) | 8 |
| Garlic | 1 clove (3g) | 4 |
| 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.
-
Garlic + oniontop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together29,058 recipes
Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).
-
Beans + tomatotop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together2,713 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Beans + corntop 3% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,211 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3-pentanedione (butter, sweet).
-
Tomato + garlictop 3% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together14,076 recipes
Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).
-
Beans + tofutop 6% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together122 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Tofu
- Provides the bulk and chewy, meaty texture of the chili.
- Pinto beans
- Add body, starch and substance that thicken the chili as it simmers.
- Onions
- Soften and sweeten as they cook, forming the flavour base.
- Tomato paste
- Adds concentrated tomato flavour, savouriness and deeper colour.
- Soy sauce
- Adds salty, savoury depth that seasons the tofu through.
The step that matters
Freezing and thawing the tofu. Freezing and thawing changes tofu's structure, making it spongier and better able to absorb the sauce. Cutting it into bite-size pieces first lets the pieces take up flavour evenly as they heat in the sauce.
Swap the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (beans, tofu, sauce, tomato, corn, garlic, pepper):
- Capsicumfits better
- Spinachfits better
- Welsh onionfits better
- Onionthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against beans, tofu, sauce, tomato, corn, garlic, pepper. 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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