Name: Veg Rice
Ingredients: 2 whole dried red peppers or 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes; 1 tsp. ground cumin; 2 tsp. dried leaf thyme or 1 tsp. ground thyme; 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled, sliced lengthwise into quarters and then into 1/4-inch thick slices; 1 large or 2 medium leeks (white parts only), rinsed and sliced lengthwise info 1/2-inch thick slices; 1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced lengthwise into 1/2-inch wide slices; 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and sliced lengthwise into 1/2-inch wide slices; 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and sliced lengthwise into 1/2-inch thick slices; 2 Tbs. fresh-squeezed lime juice; 1 large tomato, sliced into 1/4-inch thick slices; 2 16-oz cans black beans; Thin lime or orange slices, and cilantro sprigs for garnish; Cooked rice (optional)

Why it works: Cumin and lime match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,216 recipes. Both carry beta-phellandrene, which smells minty, terpene. The science ↓

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 + limetop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together1,216 recipes

Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
Sweet potato + limetop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together177 recipes

Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
Thyme + leektop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together360 recipes

Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-ol (mushroom, earthy).
Thyme + limetop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together305 recipes

Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
Pepper + limetop 2% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together3,491 recipes

Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Sweet potatoes: Provide a firm, starchy body that turns tender and sweet as it cooks.
Black beans: Add substance and a creamy texture that makes the dish filling.
Yellow onion: Softens and sweetens as it cooks, building a savory base of flavor.
Bell peppers: Add sweetness, bright color, and a tender bite to the vegetables.
Lime juice: Adds acidity that brightens the flavors and balances the sweetness.
Tomato: Contributes moisture and mild acidity that loosens the mixture.

The step that matters

Cooking the sweet potatoes. Sweet potato slices need enough time to become tender all the way through. Cutting them to an even thickness lets them cook at the same rate, since their starch softens as it heats.

Swap the leek

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (pepper, cumin, thyme, sweet potato, onion, lime, tomato):

Okrafits better
Capsicumfits better
Carrotfits better
Leekthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against pepper, cumin, thyme, sweet potato, onion, lime, tomato. 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.

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Rice	1 cup cooked (158g) white	206
Potato	1 medium (173g) baked	161
Black Bean	1/2 cup canned (120g) drained	114
Orange	1 medium (131g)	62
Onion	1 medium (110g)	44
Bell Pepper	1 medium (119g)	31
Tomato	1 medium (123g)	22
Lime	juice of 1 lime (44ml)	11
Chili	1 tsp (2.7g)	8
Cumin	1 tsp ground (2.1g)	8
Pepper	1 tsp ground (2.3g)	6
Thyme	1 tsp dried (1.4g)	4
Cilantro	1 tbsp chopped fresh (1g)	1
Leaf	not in our table	0

Veg Rice

Veg Rice

Ingredients

Directions

Cook the vegetables

Add the beans and serve

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)