Why it works: Potato and onion are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 3% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 9,023 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
Chuño Phuti
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the potato starch
Soak the potato starch in warm water overnight.
Sift the soaked potato flour the next day, removing any undesirable bits of peel.
Divide into four parts and knead repeatedly until the bitter taste disappears.
Bring to boil with enough water and two teaspoons of salt.
Once cooked, drain in a colander.
Make the frittata
Heat the oil over medium heat in another pot.
Add the onion and fry until it is golden brown.
Add tomatoes, stir and cook for about five minutes.
Add the eggs and mix again.
Add the cooked and drained potato flour and cook for about five minutes.
Add cheese and stir over low heat before serving.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 8 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Potato | 1 medium (173g) baked | 161 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Cheese | 1 oz (28g) cheddar | 113 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
| 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.
-
Potato + oniontop 3% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together9,023 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Potato + tomatotop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together2,798 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Onion + tomatotop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together20,633 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Tomato + cheesetop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,896 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Potato + cheesetop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together959 recipes
Shared aroma: sotolon (curry, maple).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Potato starch
- Forms the body of the frittata and sets as it cooks, giving a firm, sliceable texture.
- Eggs
- Bind the mixture and set on heating, holding the dish together.
- Oil
- Carries heat into the onion and tomato and adds richness to the frittata.
- White onion
- Browns in the oil to add sweetness and savoury depth.
- Cheese
- Melts into the mixture, adding fat, salty flavour and a creamy texture.
The step that matters
Cooking the potato starch until it is fully cooked and drained. Starch must be fully gelatinised by boiling before it is mixed in; undercooked starch stays chalky and tastes raw. Draining well keeps excess water from loosening the eggs and making the frittata watery.
Swap the tomato
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (potato, flour, onion, cheese, egg):
- Chivefits better
- Asparagusfits better
- Mustardfits better
- Tomatothe original
Fit is the average pairing score against potato, flour, onion, cheese, egg. 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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