Why it works: Onion and cumin are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 6% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 5,498 recipes. Both carry coumarin, which smells sweet, hay. The science ↓
Corn and “Bacon” Cakes with Cilantro
Ingredients
Directions
Make the batter
Combine corn kernels, red pepper, soy 'bacon' bits, 3 tablespoons cilantro leaves, soy mayonnaise, beaten eggs, breadcrumbs, onion powder, cumin, salt, and pepper, and stir together until well mixed.
Cook the cakes
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
When hot, scoop a scant 1/4 cup corn mixture into skillet.
Repeat to make 3 or 4 cakes.
Avoid overcrowding skillet.
Cook cakes on one side until browned, about 3 minutes.
Turn over to cook second side.
Remove from skillet.
Repeat with remaining batter.
Serve
Place 2 cakes on each serving plate.
Garnish with a sprinkling of remaining cilantro leaves.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 12 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Corn | 1/2 cup kernels (82g) | 77 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Bacon | 1 slice cooked (8g) | 43 |
| Soy Sauce | 1 tbsp (15ml) | 9 |
| Chili | 1 tsp (2.7g) | 8 |
| Cumin | 1 tsp ground (2.1g) | 8 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Cilantro | 1 tbsp chopped fresh (1g) | 1 |
| 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.
-
Onion + cumintop 6% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,498 recipes
Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).
-
Corn + cumintop 6% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together798 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
-
Pepper + cumintop 7% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together4,382 recipes
Shared aroma: methyl cinnamate (strawberry).
-
Corn + peppertop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,324 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
-
Pepper + oniontop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together68,474 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Eggs
- Bind the mixture so the cakes hold together when cooked.
- Breadcrumbs
- Absorb moisture and add body so the cakes set firmly.
- Soy mayonnaise
- Adds moisture and richness, keeping the cakes tender.
- Corn kernels
- Provide sweetness and bulk, forming the main body of each cake.
The step that matters
Avoid overcrowding the skillet. Crowded cakes release moisture and steam instead of searing, so they turn pale and soft rather than browned and crisp. Leaving space lets moisture escape and the surface brown properly.
Swap the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (corn, pepper, egg, cumin):
- Capsicumfits better
- Spinachfits better
- Carrotfits better
- Onionthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against corn, pepper, egg, cumin. 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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