Why it works: Rice and onion are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 9% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 10,433 recipes. Both carry 2,4-decadienal, which smells seaweed. The science ↓
Lamb Drob Syrma
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the filling
Boil the lamb pluck in salt water and cut into pieces.
Fry the finely chopped onions in butter and some water.
Add the rice, pluck, pepper and mint.
Add 2 cupfuls of the lamb stock and boil for about 20 minutes.
Wrap and bake
Soak the caul in cold water, cut into pieces and fill with the mixture.
Arrange in a tray and bake in a moderate oven.
When nearly ready, pour over the eggs beaten in yoghurt and bake for another 10-15 minutes.
The dish can also be prepared without caul wrapping.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Lamb | 100g cooked | 294 |
| Rice | 1 cup cooked (158g) white | 206 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Peppermint | 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 + oniontop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together10,433 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
-
Mint + peppertop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,372 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
-
Lamb + ricetop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together439 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-nonadienal (fatty, green).
-
Onion + peppertop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together68,474 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Rice + peppertop 12% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together8,379 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Lamb caul
- Wraps the filling so it holds its shape while baking.
- Eggs
- Set with the yoghurt into a custard that binds the filling as it bakes.
- Rice
- Absorbs stock and cooks into the filling, giving it body.
- Yoghurt
- Adds moisture and tang to the egg topping, keeping it tender.
- Butter
- Fats the onions so they soften and brown gently in the pan.
- Spring onions
- Give a sweet, mild onion flavour that builds the base of the filling.
The step that matters
Pouring over the egg and yoghurt mixture. Add it only when the filling is nearly done. Eggs set quickly with heat, so adding them too early can overcook them into a rubbery layer before the filling is ready.
Swap the mint
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (lamb, egg, rice, onion, pepper, butter):
- Parsleyfits better
- Garlicfits better
- Turmericfits better
- Mintthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against lamb, egg, rice, onion, pepper, butter. 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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