Name: Salata Tamatim Wi Zaytun
Ingredients: 2 beefsteak tomatoes, cored and thinly sliced; 1 small red onion, finely chopped; 140g (5oz) pitted black olives; 3 heaped tablespoons flat leaf parsley, finely chopped; juice of 1 lemon; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; ½ teaspoon turmeric; pinch of black pepper; ½ teaspoon salt

Why it works: Cumin and turmeric match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,698 recipes. Both carry eucalyptol, which smells eucalyptus, herbal. The science ↓

Salata Tamatim Wi Zaytun

Ingredients

2 beefsteak tomatoes, cored and thinly sliced
1 small red onion, finely chopped
140g (5oz) pitted black olives
3 heaped tablespoons flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon turmeric
pinch of black pepper
½ teaspoon salt

Directions

Make the dressing

Mix the lemon juice, ground cumin, ground turmeric, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Set the dressing aside.

Assemble the salad

Cut tomatoes in half, core, seed and slice them.
Place sliced tomatoes in a medium bowl and add the chopped onion, chopped parsley and olives.
Pour the dressing over the salad, mix well and transfer to serving dish.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

106Calories

4 gProtein

2 gFat

23 gCarbs

What these numbers assume: 9 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Onion	1 medium (110g)	44
Tomato	1 medium (123g)	22
Lemon	juice of 1 lemon (48ml)	12
Turmeric	1 tsp ground (3g)	9
Cumin	1 tsp ground (2.1g)	8
Black Pepper	1 tsp ground (2.3g)	6
Olive	1 large (4g)	4
Parsley	1 tbsp chopped fresh (3.8g)	1
Salt	1 tsp (6g)	0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

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.

Cumin + turmerictop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together1,698 recipes

Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).
Parsley + lemontop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together14,037 recipes

Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
Tomato + olivetop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together15,539 recipes

Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).
Parsley + peppertop 2% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together34,122 recipes

Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
Tomato + cumintop 2% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together3,272 recipes

Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Beefsteak tomatoes: Provide the main bulk and juicy body of the salad.
Black olives: Add salty, briny flavour and a firm bite against the soft tomato.
Lemon juice: Adds acidity that brightens the dressing and balances the olives.
Ground cumin: Contributes warm, earthy aroma to the dressing.

Swap the onion

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (tomato, olive, parsley, lemon, cumin, turmeric, pepper):

Capsicumfits better
Eggplantfits better
Okrafits better
Onionthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against tomato, olive, parsley, lemon, cumin, turmeric, 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.