Lamb and Eggplant Ragout

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.

1. Nutmeg + cinnamontop 1% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together11,917 recipes

   Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).

2. Clove + cinnamontop 1% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together14,189 recipes

   Shared aroma: ethyl cinnamate (sweet, balsamic).

3. Clove + nutmegtop 1% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together8,686 recipes

   Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).

4. Onion + garlictop 1% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together29,058 recipes

   Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).

5. Eggplant + garlictop 1% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together801 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

Eggplant

Its spongy flesh soaks up oil and gives the ragout its soft, tender body.

Ground lamb or lean beef

Provides the savory, browned meat base that gives the ragout its richness.

Rice

Absorbs the bouillon as it bakes, cooking through to become tender and hold the layers together.

Beef bouillon

Supplies the cooking liquid that steams the rice and moistens the layers as they bake.

Almonds or cashews

Add a crunchy, toasted contrast and nutty flavour to the soft layers.

Raisins

Add pockets of sweetness that balance the spices and savory meat.

The step that matters

Swap the onion

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (eggplant, lamb, clove, garlic, nutmeg, cinnamon, rice):

1. Okrafits better
2. Spinachfits better
3. Sweet potatofits better
4. Onionthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against eggplant, lamb, clove, garlic, nutmeg, cinnamon, rice. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.