Why it works: Lemon and nutmeg match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 5% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 11,318 recipes. Both carry beta-phellandrene, which smells minty, terpene. The science ↓
Hunkar Begendi I
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the eggplant
Smoke whole eggplants in a covered barbecue, or bake at 350°F.
Cook for 20-30 minutes, until tender.
Add lemon half to water in a shallow dish.
Place eggplants in water, turn to coat thoroughly, and let stand until cool.
Peel eggplants and remove seeds.
Cut flesh into ¼" cubes.
Make the cheese sauce
Melt butter in a skillet.
Add flour and cook, stirring until light brown.
Stir in milk.
Add cheeses, eggplant, dash nutmeg, and season to taste with salt.
Cook over very low heat for 5 minutes.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 8 of 9 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 8 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Milk | 1 cup (244ml) whole | 149 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Mozzarella Cheese | 1 oz (28g) | 85 |
| Eggplant | 1 cup cubed (82g) | 35 |
| Lemon | juice of 1 lemon (48ml) | 12 |
| Nutmeg | 1 tsp ground (2.2g) | 12 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Water | 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.
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Lemon + nutmegtop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together11,318 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Eggplant + nutmegtop 7% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together53 recipes
Shared aroma: alpha-pinene (pine, turpentine).
-
Butter + milktop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together81,283 recipes
Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).
-
Eggplant + flourtop 8% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together371 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Flour + nutmegtop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together18,623 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Eggplants
- Provide the tender, soft body and mild flavor of the stew.
- Butter
- Adds richness and fat, and carries flavor through the sauce.
- Flour
- Thickens the milk into a smooth sauce when cooked with the butter.
- Milk
- Forms the liquid base of the sauce, adding moisture and creaminess.
- Shredded mozzarella cheese
- Melts into the sauce to add creaminess, saltiness and stretch.
The step that matters
Cooking the flour in the butter. Cooking flour in butter until light brown, then adding milk slowly while stirring, keeps the sauce smooth. Cooking too little leaves a raw floury taste and cooking too long darkens and weakens the thickening.
Swap the lemon
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (eggplant, butter, flour, milk, mozzarella cheese, nutmeg):
- Coconutfits better
- Avocadofits about as well
- Cherryfits about as well
- Lemonthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against eggplant, butter, flour, milk, mozzarella cheese, nutmeg. 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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