Why it works: Onion and tomato are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 8% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 20,633 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
Masamba
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Prepare peanut powder by grinding roasted peanuts in a blender until fine and powdery, or pound them with a mortar and pestle or between two stones.
Cook the greens
Put greens in just enough boiling salted water to cover.
Cook over medium heat until soft, adding more water as needed to keep them from sticking.
After a minute or so, put the tomatoes and peanut powder on top of the greens but do not stir.
If using onions, put them on top as well.
Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
Stir and simmer for an additional 15 minutes.
Serve
Eat with nsima.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 4 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Peanut | 1 oz (28g) | 161 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
| 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 + tomatotop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together20,633 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Peanut + oniontop 9% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,043 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Peanut + tomatotop 10% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together315 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
- Greens
- Cook down to a tender base that makes up the body of the dish.
- Peanut powder
- Thickens the cooking liquid and adds a rich, nutty body.
- Tomatoes
- Add moisture and acidity that help form a sauce with the peanuts.
The step that matters
Layering the tomatoes and peanut powder without stirring. Placing them on top of the greens without stirring lets them steam and soften before being mixed in. Stirring too early can scorch the peanut powder on the bottom of the pot and make the sauce gritty or uneven.
Swap the onion
The recipe marks onion as optional. How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (peanut, tomato):
- Capsicumfits better
- Potatofits better
- Eggplantfits better
- Onionthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against peanut, tomato. 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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