Pilaf À LA Grecque

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.

1. Carrot + celerytop 1% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together10,173 recipes

   Shared aroma: myristicin (spice, warm).

2. Tomato + oreganotop 2% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together2,767 recipes

   Shared aroma: 2-hexenal (green, leafy).

3. Celery + tomatotop 4% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together3,377 recipes

   Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).

4. Carrot + oreganotop 4% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together536 recipes

   Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).

5. Celery + oreganotop 4% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together559 recipes

   Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Lean ground beef

Provides the main protein and savory browned flavor that anchors the pilaf.

Rice

Forms the bulk of the dish and absorbs the tomato and seasoning juices as it simmers.

Carrots

Add sweetness and a firm texture that holds up through simmering.

Frozen chopped spinach

Adds green color, soft texture and moisture to the pilaf.

Canned whole tomatoes

Contribute acidity, moisture and liquid that flavors the rice as it cooks.

Onion

Builds sweetness and aromatic depth as it softens with the meat.

Swap the onion

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (beef, carrot, celery, rice, spinach, tomato, oregano):

1. Capsicumfits better
2. Eggplantfits better
3. Lettucefits better
4. Onionthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against beef, carrot, celery, rice, spinach, tomato, oregano. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.