Why it works: Cardamom and coriander match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 872 recipes. Both carry beta-phellandrene, which smells minty, terpene. The science ↓
Hilbeh
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the fenugreek
Crush the fenugreek seeds to a fine powder using a mortar and pestle or the back of a spoon.
Pour 1 cup of boiling water over the crushed fenugreek and steep for 2 or 3 hours.
Drain the fenugreek in a fine sieve.
Make the sauce
Puree the tomatoes through a sieve set over a bowl.
Stir the fenugreek into the pureed tomatoes.
Mash the garlic and salt to a paste using the back of a spoon or a mortar and pestle.
Add the cardamom, caraway, coriander, and red pepper and mash them vigorously until smooth.
Stir the spice mixture into the tomato and fenugreek mixture.
Serve
Serve immediately or store tightly covered in the refrigerator.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 5 of 9 ingredients. The other 4 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 5 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
| Chili | 1 tsp (2.7g) | 8 |
| Cardamom | 1 tsp ground (2g) | 6 |
| Garlic | 1 clove (3g) | 4 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Fenugreek | not in our table | 0 |
| Seed | not in our table | 0 |
| Caraway Seed | not in our table | 0 |
| Coriander | 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.
-
Cardamom + coriandertop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together872 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Fenugreek + cardamomtop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together83 recipes
Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).
-
Tomato + coriandertop 1% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,967 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-decenal (waxy, orange).
-
Tomato + garlictop 3% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together14,076 recipes
Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).
-
Fenugreek + coriandertop 3% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together236 recipes
Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Fenugreek seeds
- Soaking releases their bitter, mucilaginous flavour and gives the sauce its characteristic aroma.
- Tomato
- Provides moisture, body and acidity that form the base of the sauce.
- Garlic
- Adds pungent, sharp aroma that mellows as the sauce sits.
- Hot red pepper
- Adds heat and pungency to the spice blend.
The step that matters
Steeping the fenugreek. Fenugreek seeds must be fully crushed and steeped in hot water long enough to soften and release their compounds; under-steeping leaves the flavour harsh and gritty, while the seeds' bitterness is what the dish is built around.
Swap the caraway
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (fenugreek, tomato, garlic, cardamom, coriander, pepper):
- Cuminfits better
- Turmericfits better
- Fennelfits better
- Carawaythe original
Fit is the average pairing score against fenugreek, tomato, garlic, cardamom, coriander, pepper. 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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