Why it works: Cumin and oregano match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 983 recipes. Both carry estragole, which smells anise, licorice. The science ↓
Vegan Bean Burritos
Ingredients
Directions
Make the bean filling
Place the beans, tomato sauce, bell pepper, and seasonings in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and mash the beans slightly with the back of a wooden spoon, fork, or a potato masher.
Assemble and serve
Spoon 1/4 of the bean mixture onto each of the tortillas, placing it in a strip along one side, slightly off center.
Add your favorite toppings (lettuce, tomato, olives, scallions, onion, avocado, cilantro, etc.), and roll the tortillas around the filling.
Serve with Crock Cheeze or use canned refried beans.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 9 of 10 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 9 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Tortilla | 1 medium flour (45g) | 140 |
| Pinto Bean | 1/2 cup (86g) canned | 122 |
| Bell Pepper | 1 medium (119g) | 31 |
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
| Chili | 1 tsp (2.7g) | 8 |
| Cumin | 1 tsp ground (2.1g) | 8 |
| Oregano | 1 tsp dried (1.8g) | 5 |
| Garlic | 1 clove (3g) | 4 |
| Sauce | 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.
-
Cumin + oreganotop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together983 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
-
Beans + cumintop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,188 recipes
Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).
-
Garlic + cumintop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together5,082 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Beans + tomatotop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together2,713 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Tomato + oreganotop 2% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,767 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-hexenal (green, leafy).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Pinto beans
- Provide the bulk of the filling and, when mashed, a creamy, thick texture.
- Tomato sauce
- Adds moisture and acidity, helping the beans cook into a savory, spreadable filling.
- Chili powder
- Contributes warm, earthy heat and aroma to the bean filling.
- Whole wheat flour tortillas
- Act as the wrapper that holds the filling together when rolled.
The step that matters
Mash the beans slightly off the heat. Mashing while the beans are still hot helps them break down and bind into a spreadable filling. Mashing only partly keeps some whole beans for texture, and a filling that is too wet or too loose may tear the tortillas when rolled.
Swap the garlic
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (beans, tomato, sauce, pepper, cumin, oregano, wheat):
- Corianderfits better
- Turmericfits better
- Basilfits about as well
- Garlicthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against beans, tomato, sauce, pepper, cumin, oregano, wheat. 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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