Why it works: Onion and garlic 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 ↓
Stir-fried Tofu and Bok Choy I
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Cut tofu into 1/2-inch-thick slices, then blot it well between several layers of paper towels.
Cut tofu into 1-inch dice.
Cook
Heat oil in a wok or wide skillet over medium-high heat.
Add tofu and stir-fry until golden on both sides, about 5 minutes.
Add bok choy, scallions, garlic, stir-fry sauce, and 2 tablespoons water.
Stir-fry until bok choy is wilted, 3 to 4 minutes.
Stir in crushed red pepper flakes and peanuts if using.
Serve
Serve right away.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 7 of 8 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 7 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Peanut | 1 oz (28g) | 161 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Tofu | 100g firm | 76 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Bok Choy | 1 cup (70g) | 9 |
| Chili | 1 tsp (2.7g) | 8 |
| 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.
-
Onion + garlictop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together29,058 recipes
Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).
-
Garlic + peanuttop 4% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together877 recipes
Shared aroma: 3-ethyl-2,5-dimethylpyrazine (roasted, nutty).
-
Clove + peppertop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together17,451 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).
-
Tofu + peanuttop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together98 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
-
Garlic + peppertop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together27,090 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
- Firm or extra-firm tofu
- Provides the protein base, and blotting it dry lets its surface brown instead of steaming.
- Bok choy
- Wilts into tender stalks and leaves while adding crisp-soft texture and mild sweetness.
- Garlic
- Releases aromatic compounds in hot oil, building the savory fragrance of the stir-fry.
- Stir-fry sauce
- Supplies salt and savory flavor, and its liquid helps coat and glaze the tofu and greens.
The step that matters
Blot the tofu dry and let it brown. Surface moisture makes tofu steam rather than sear in hot oil. Drying it well and leaving it undisturbed until golden gives crisp edges that hold up in the sauce.
Swap the peanut
The recipe marks peanut as optional. How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (tofu, onion, clove, garlic, sauce, pepper):
- Sesamefits better
- Chickpeafits better
- Cashew nutfits better
- Peanutthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against tofu, onion, clove, garlic, sauce, 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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