Why it works: Carrot and parsley match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 8,053 recipes. Both carry 2,4-decadienal, which smells seaweed. The science ↓
Eggplant Russian-style
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the eggplant
Wash the eggplants, remove the stem and cut into 1/2 inch rounds.
Sprinkle with salt and let rest for 1 hour.
Drain each slice well and dry it with a clean cloth.
Dredge each slice with flour.
Fry the eggplant slices in oil, on both sides, at medium heat.
Fry the thinly sliced onions and vegetables in the remaining oil until softened.
Layer and bake
Arrange a layer of tomato rounds in a pan.
Arrange a layer of fried eggplant slices on top of the tomatoes.
Sprinkle some minced garlic over the eggplant layer.
Arrange a layer of fried vegetables on top of the eggplant, sprinkled with chopped parsley and dill.
Repeat the layering procedure until all ingredients are used, ending with a tomato layer.
Boil the remaining tomatoes with 2-3 tablespoons of water, strain, add some salt and 1/2 teaspoon sugar.
Pour the tomato sauce over the layered eggplant.
Bake until almost all liquid is reduced.
Turn onto the serving platter and serve warm or cold.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 13 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Eggplant | 1 cup cubed (82g) | 35 |
| Carrot | 1 medium (61g) | 25 |
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
| Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Celery | 1 stalk (40g) | 6 |
| Dill | 5 sprigs fresh (1g) / 1 tsp dried | 4 |
| Garlic | 1 clove (3g) | 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.
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.
-
Carrot + parsleytop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together8,053 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
-
Parsley + dilltop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together669 recipes
Shared aroma: p-mentha-1,3,8-triene (camphor, herbal).
-
Carrot + celerytop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together10,173 recipes
Shared aroma: myristicin (spice, warm).
-
Parsley + celerytop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together6,810 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
-
Carrot + dilltop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together321 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
- Eggplants
- Form the bulk of the layers and become soft and tender when fried and baked.
- Tomatoes
- Provide moisture and acidity that, with the sauce, bake down into the dish's liquid base.
- Onions
- Soften and add sweetness and savory depth to the vegetable layer.
- Flour
- Coats the eggplant slices so they brown lightly when fried and hold their shape.
- Garlic
- Adds pungent aroma that mellows during baking.
- Oil
- Conducts heat for frying and adds richness to the eggplant.
The step that matters
Drying the eggplant slices before dredging and frying. Salting draws out water from eggplant; if slices are not drained and dried well, excess moisture prevents browning and makes the flour coating gummy and oily.
Swap the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (eggplant, tomato, carrot, pepper, parsley, celery, dill):
- Capsicumfits better
- Parsnipfits better
- Spinachfits better
- Onionthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against eggplant, tomato, carrot, pepper, parsley, celery, dill. 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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