Why it works: Beans and onion match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 5,242 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
Binch Akara
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the beans
Pour dry beans into a blender with a cup of water and blend for one minute.
Pour the mixture into a large bowl and add water.
Stir until the skins float.
Strain into a colander; allow all skins and eyes to flow out.
Make the batter
Blend the beans, onion, and pepper.
Pour the mixture into a bowl, add salt, and stir with a wooden spoon for two minutes.
Fry and serve
Heat oil until moderately hot.
Drop the mixture into the oil with a spoon.
Fry until golden brown.
Drain on absorbent paper.
Serve small balls with toothpicks.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 3 of 4 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 3 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Bean | 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.
-
Beans + oniontop 7% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together5,242 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
- Black-eyed beans
- Form the main body of the batter, giving the fritters their substance and texture.
- Onion
- Adds aroma and savoury flavour to the batter.
- Oil
- Cooks the batter quickly and browns its outside to a golden crust.
The step that matters
Heat oil until moderately hot. If the oil is too cool, the batter absorbs it and turns greasy; if it is too hot, the outside browns before the inside cooks through.
“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.
You might also like
German Style String Beans7 recipes
Tomato Soup526 recipes
Brown Bread461 recipes
Mutton Broth292 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.