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 ↓
Beans with Coconut
Ingredients
Directions
Make the spice base
Heat the oil and sizzle the garlic together with the chili powder for half a minute.
Next, add the cumin, coriander, turmeric and cilantro leaves.
Cook for another minute or two, stirring often to blend.
Combine and finish
Add the coconut and mix this in too.
Add the cooked beans and potatoes.
Season and then pour in the lime or lemon juice.
Cook for another 10 minutes or so until everything is blended together.
They serve with green vegetables.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 12 of 13 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 12 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Coconut | 1/2 cup shredded (40g) | 283 |
| Potato | 1 medium (173g) baked | 161 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Pea | 1/2 cup (72g) | 62 |
| Lemon | juice of 1 lemon (48ml) | 12 |
| Lime | juice of 1 lime (44ml) | 11 |
| Turmeric | 1 tsp ground (3g) | 9 |
| Chili | 1 tsp (2.7g) | 8 |
| Cumin | 1 tsp ground (2.1g) | 8 |
| Garlic | 1 clove (3g) | 4 |
| Cilantro | 1 tbsp chopped fresh (1g) | 1 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Coriander | 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.
-
Cumin + turmerictop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,698 recipes
Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).
-
Cumin + coriandertop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together3,866 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Garlic + cumintop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together5,082 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Coriander + turmerictop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together2,253 recipes
Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).
-
Turmeric + coconuttop 2% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,027 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-heptanol (bitter, floral).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Black eyed peas
- Provide the main body and protein-rich bulk of the dish.
- Dessicated coconut
- Adds moisture, richness and sweetness to the spiced mixture.
- Potatoes
- Add starchy bulk and soften into the mixture while cooking.
- Garlic cloves
- Build aroma as they sizzle in the hot oil.
- Turmeric
- Adds earthy flavour and a warm golden colour.
The step that matters
Sizzling the garlic and chili powder. Garlic and chili burn quickly in hot oil, turning bitter. Keeping the heat controlled for the short half-minute lets their aromas bloom without scorching.
Swap the peas
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (garlic, clove, cumin, coriander, turmeric, coconut, potato):
- Chickpeafits better
- Lentilsfits better
- Cashew nutfits better
- Peasthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against garlic, clove, cumin, coriander, turmeric, coconut, potato. 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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