Why it works: Onion and garlic match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 29,058 recipes. Both carry furaneol, which smells caramel, strawberry. The science ↓
Tsebhi Sega
Ingredients
Directions
Make the sauce
Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the onions until light golden.
Add the berbere and the tegeles tesmi and some water if necessary, then simmer on low heat.
After 10 minutes add the ginger and garlic, then add the skinned tomatoes, salt, and pepper, and simmer for another 5 minutes.
Cook and serve
After 15 minutes add the shredded meat and simmer until the meat is cooked.
Add water if necessary, then serve with injera.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 10 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Lamb | 100g cooked | 294 |
| Sunflower | 1 oz (28g) hulled | 165 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
| Chili | 1 tsp (2.7g) | 8 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Garlic | 1 clove (3g) | 4 |
| Ginger | 1 tsp grated fresh (2g) | 2 |
| 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.
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.
-
Onion + garlictop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together29,058 recipes
Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).
-
Garlic + tomatotop 3% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together14,076 recipes
Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).
-
Ginger + garlictop 6% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together6,402 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Tomato + peppertop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together17,923 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Sunflower + gingertop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together337 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-one (mushroom, metallic).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Onions
- Softened and golden onions form the sweet, savoury base of the sauce.
- Chili paste (berbere)
- Supplies the spicy, aromatic heat that defines the dish.
- Tomatoes
- Break down into liquid that gives the sauce body and moisture.
- Meat (beef or lamb)
- Provides the protein and rich flavour that the sauce is built around.
The step that matters
Simmering the berbere on low heat. Chili paste scorches easily over high heat, which turns it bitter. Gentle simmering with a little water lets the spices bloom and deepen without burning.
Swap the ginger
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (onion, sunflower, garlic, tomato, lamb, pepper):
- Cuminfits better
- Corianderfits better
- Thymefits better
- Gingerthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against onion, sunflower, garlic, tomato, lamb, 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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