Why it works: Pepper and parsley match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 2% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 34,122 recipes. Both carry 4'-methylacetophenone, which smells bitter almond. The science ↓
Karvarma
Ingredients
Directions
Brown the pork
Heat the lard or oil in a large saucepan, add the meat and brown on all sides. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Cook the stew
Reheat the fat, then add the leeks and onions and sauté, stirring for 5 minutes.
Add the tomato paste, paprika, salt, pepper, water, wine and the browned meat, mix well and bring to the boil.
Reduce the heat to very low, cover and cook very gently for 2 hours.
Serve
Serve sprinkled with chopped parsley.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 9 of 10 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 9 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Pork | 100g cooked | 242 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Lard | 1 tbsp (12.8g) | 115 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Wine | 2 tbsp cooking wine (30ml) | 25 |
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Parsley | 1 tbsp chopped fresh (3.8g) | 1 |
| 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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Pepper + parsleytop 2% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together34,122 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
-
Leek + oniontop 4% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,326 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl butyrate (apple, fruity).
-
Leek + parsleytop 4% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together759 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-hexenal (green, leafy).
-
Tomato + peppertop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together17,923 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Onion + tomatotop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together20,633 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Pork
- Provides the meat that becomes tender during the long, gentle simmer.
- Lard or oil
- Carries heat for browning the meat and adds richness to the sauce.
- Leeks and onion
- Soften during sautéing and build the sweet, savoury base of the sauce.
- Tomato paste
- Adds concentrated tomato flavour and depth to the sauce.
- Paprika
- Adds a mild, sweet red pepper flavour and colour to the sauce.
- Dry wine
- Adds acidity and aroma, helping to build the flavour of the sauce.
The step that matters
Brown the meat on all sides. Browning creates Maillard flavour and colour on the meat's surface. Crowding the pan or stirring too little causes steaming instead, which leaves the meat grey and the stew blander.
Swap the leek
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (pork, onion, tomato, pepper, wine, parsley):
- Capsicumfits better
- Potatofits better
- Carrotfits better
- Leekthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against pork, onion, tomato, pepper, wine, parsley. 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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