Why it works: Rice and onion are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 9% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 10,433 recipes. Both carry 2,4-decadienal, which smells seaweed. The science ↓
Eneksa Agaga
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the achiote
Soak achiote seeds in water until the liquid is a dark rich red.
Drain the seeds, reserving the liquid.
Prepare the bacon and onion
Fry the bacon until soft but thoroughly cooked.
Chop the bacon and onion.
Cook the rice
Put the rice, bacon, and onion in a pan and add the achiote liquid.
Allow the pot of rice to "boil down" until the liquid is almost completely gone.
Cover and reduce the heat to low for 15 minutes.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 3 of 5 ingredients. The other 2 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Rice | 1 cup cooked (158g) white | 206 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Bacon | 1 slice cooked (8g) | 43 |
| Seed | not in our table | 0 |
| Water | 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.
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Rice + oniontop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together10,433 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
- Medium grain enriched rice
- Forms the bulk of the dish and absorbs the liquid as it cooks, setting its texture.
- Achiote seeds
- Release a dark red color and earthy aroma into the cooking liquid.
- Bacon
- Its fat adds richness and savory flavor to the rice as it cooks.
- Onion
- Adds savory sweetness and aroma as it softens in the pot.
The step that matters
Allow the rice to boil down until the liquid is almost gone. Rice absorbs liquid as it cooks, so the liquid must reduce enough before covering and turning down the heat. Too much liquid left leaves the rice soggy, while cooking it dry can scorch it or leave grains hard.
“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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