Name: Berenjenas Empanizadas
Ingredients: 2 large eggplants; 1/4 cup of oil; 3 tablespoons of milk; 4 tablespoons of cornstarch; 2 teaspoons of salt; 1 pinch of ground black pepper; 2 eggs

Why it works: Eggplant and pepper are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 8% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,123 recipes. Both carry guaiacol, which smells smoky, sweet. The science ↓

Berenjenas Empanizadas

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare

Cut the eggplants into 1/4 inch‑thick slices and sprinkle with one teaspoon of salt.
Mix milk, cornstarch, eggs, pepper, and the remaining salt; stir.
Heat the oil in a shallow frying pan.

Coat and fry

Dip the eggplant slices in the mixture, then coat them with breadcrumbs.
Fry until golden brown and serve immediately.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

842Calories

28 gProtein

28 gFat

118 gCarbs

What these numbers assume: 7 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Flour	1 cup (125g) all-purpose	455
Milk	1 cup (244ml) whole	149
Olive Oil	1 tbsp (14g)	119
Egg	1 large egg (50g)	78
Eggplant	1 cup cubed (82g)	35
Black Pepper	1 tsp ground (2.3g)	6
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.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

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.

Eggplant + peppertop 8% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together1,123 recipes

Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
Milk + eggtop 18% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together88,785 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Milk + peppertop 22% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together26,984 recipes

Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).
Eggplant + milktop 26% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together107 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-methylbutyraldehyde (malty, chocolate).
Eggplant + eggtop 30% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together515 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-methylbutyraldehyde (malty, chocolate).

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

What each ingredient does

Eggplants: Form the main body of the cutlets, becoming soft and tender when fried.
Eggs: Bind the batter so it adheres to the eggplant slices and sets when fried.
Cornstarch: Thickens the batter and helps create a crisp, golden coating.
Milk: Loosens the batter so it coats the slices evenly.
Oil: Conducts heat to fry the coating and browns the surface.

The step that matters

Fry until golden brown and serve immediately. Oil must be hot enough to crisp the coating quickly; if it is too cool, the breading absorbs oil and turns greasy, and the eggplant steams inside.

Swap the eggplant

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (milk, pepper, egg):

Capsicumfits better
Potatofits better
Asparagusfits better
Eggplantthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against milk, pepper, egg. 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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Berenjenas Empanizadas