Why it works: Flour and butter are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 12% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 124,287 recipes. Both carry isobutyraldehyde, which smells malty, green. The science ↓
Posho
Ingredients
Directions
Make the posho
Bring the water to a boil in a cooking pot over medium heat.
Gradually add the maize flour to the boiling water, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or whisk to prevent lumps.
Continue stirring until the mixture thickens and pulls away from the sides of the pot, about 5–10 minutes.
Reduce heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer for 5–10 minutes.
If using, add butter or vegetable oil and stir until incorporated.
Remove from heat and let the posho rest for a few minutes.
Serve
Serve the posho warm.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| 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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Flour + buttertop 12% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together124,287 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
Flour and butter barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 124,287 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Maize flour
- Starch that gelatinises with hot water, forming the thick, firm body of the posho.
- Water
- Hydrates the maize starch so it can swell and set into a thick porridge.
- Butter or vegetable oil
- Adds fat for a richer mouthfeel and softer texture, when used.
The step that matters
Adding the flour to boiling water. Adding flour gradually while stirring constantly prevents lumps, because dry starch clumps when it hits hot liquid before it can disperse evenly.
“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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