Why it works: Rice and sesame match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 3% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 984 recipes. Both carry trans-2-nonenal, which smells cardboard, fatty. The science ↓
Claypot Rice
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the chicken
Brown shredded ginger in oil.
Add chicken, dark and light soy sauce and cook until chicken is done.
Splash a little sesame oil and set aside.
Make sure there is enough sauce for the amount of rice cooked.
Cook and serve
Put rice, chicken and sauce, sausages in an oiled claypot and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes or until the bottom of rice is dry.
If you do not have a claypot, you can use any ordinary pot but over very low heat making sure you do not burn the rice.
Garnish with green onions.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Sausage | 100g cooked | 301 |
| Rice | 1 cup cooked (158g) white | 206 |
| Chicken | 100g cooked | 165 |
| Sesame | 1 tbsp (14g) | 120 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Ginger | 1 tsp grated fresh (2g) | 2 |
| 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.
-
Rice + sesametop 3% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together984 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).
-
Sesame + oniontop 4% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together2,192 recipes
Shared aroma: gamma-nonanolactone (coconut, sweet).
-
Ginger + sesametop 4% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,531 recipes
Shared aroma: nonanal (fat, citrus).
-
Rice + chickentop 5% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,769 recipes
Shared aroma: (e,e)-2,4-decadienal (fatty, deep fried).
-
Chicken + oniontop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together17,814 recipes
Shared aroma: gamma-nonanolactone (coconut, sweet).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Rice
- Forms the bulk of the dish and crisps on the bottom of the pot, adding texture.
- Chicken pieces
- Provide the main protein, which firms and browns as it cooks in the sauce.
- Chinese sausages
- Add savoury fat and concentrated flavour that seasons the rice as it renders.
- Dark soya sauce
- Adds colour and a deeper, caramel-like savour that browns the rice and chicken.
- Light soya sauce
- Adds salt and savour, seasoning the rice and chicken evenly.
The step that matters
Cooking the rice until the bottom is dry. Rice must absorb the sauce evenly, and the base must be left to toast gently over heat. Too little heat leaves it wet, while too much heat burns it before the top cooks through.
Swap the ginger
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (rice, chicken, sauce, sesame, onion):
- Garlicfits better
- Gingerthe original
- Turmericfits about as well
- Cuminfits about as well
Fit is the average pairing score against rice, chicken, sauce, sesame, onion. 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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