Why it works: Olive and onion are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 8% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 29,779 recipes. Both carry 2,4-decadienal, which smells seaweed. The science ↓
Moy-moy
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the batter
Place the akara powder in a bowl and slowly add water to form a smooth thick paste. Beat well with a whisk or wooden spoon for a few minutes, cover and set aside for at least 30 minutes. For a traditional taste, let the mixture sit at least 8 hours, then refrigerate overnight if possible, until it becomes frothy.
Stir it vigorously to remove air bubbles and obtain a smooth texture.
Bake and serve
Grease the muffin pans or tin cans and scoop the mixture into them, allowing some room for it to rise while cooking.
Place the pans in a baking dish partially filled with water, cover with foil, and bake in a medium hot oven for 25 to 30 minutes.
When cooked and firm, cool it down and cut it into shape as you like.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 6 of 8 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 6 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Chili | 1 tsp (2.7g) | 8 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Cayenne | 1 tsp (1.8g) | 6 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Water | not in our table | 0 |
| Cake | 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.
-
Olive + oniontop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together29,779 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
-
Pepper + oniontop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together68,474 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Pepper + olivetop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together30,263 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Akara powder
- Forms the base batter that sets into a firm, cake-like body when baked.
- Water
- Hydrates the bean powder into a thick batter that can be poured and set.
- Palm or olive oil
- Adds fat for moisture and a richer mouthfeel in the baked cake.
The step that matters
Resting the batter until frothy. Resting lets the bean powder absorb water and trap air, which helps the moy-moy rise and turn light rather than dense. Skipping the rest leaves a heavier, denser result.
Swap the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (pepper, olive):
- Capsicumfits better
- Tomatofits better
- Eggplantfits better
- Onionthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against pepper, olive. 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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