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Tofu and Couscous

A quick sautéed tofu and pepper mixture combined with couscous and raisins, finished with olive oil and spices.

From the Wikibooks Cookbook · 6 ingredients
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Why it works: Tofu and olive work together. They rank in the top 8% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 678 recipes. Both carry ethyl isobutyrate, which smells fruity, ethereal. The science ↓

Tofu and Couscous

Time5 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Cook the filling

  1. Sauté tofu, red peppers, and raisins together until soft.

Prepare the couscous

  1. Bring the water to a boil, stir in the couscous, cover, remove from the heat, and let rest for 5 minutes until the water is absorbed.

  2. Fluff the couscous with a fork.

Combine and season

  1. Combine the tofu mixture with couscous and olive oil.

  2. Flavor to taste with curry or other mixed spices.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

464Calories
16 gProtein
19 gFat
60 gCarbs

Counts 5 of 6 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 5 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Couscous1 cup cooked (157g)176
Olive Oil1 tbsp (14g)119
Tofu100g firm76
Grape1/2 cup (76g)62
Red Bell Pepper1 medium (119g)31
Waternot in our table0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Wikibooks Cookbook.

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.

  1. Tofu + olivetop 8% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together678 recipes

    Shared aroma: ethyl isobutyrate (fruity, ethereal).

  2. Pepper + olivetop 11% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together30,263 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).

  3. Pepper + tofutop 17% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together392 recipes

    Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).

  4. Raisin + olivetop 26% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together72 recipes

    Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).

  5. Pepper + raisintop 27% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together582 recipes

    Shared aroma: ethyl caproate (fruity, apple peel).

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

What each ingredient does

Instant couscous
Forms the base of the dish, absorbing the water to become tender and fluffy.
Tofu
Adds protein-rich body and a soft, mild texture to the mixture.
Red bell peppers
Contribute moisture, sweetness, and color as they soften during sautéing.
Raisins
Add concentrated sweetness and chewy texture that balances the savory tofu.
Olive oil
Adds fat that carries flavor and keeps the couscous from clumping.

The step that matters

Letting the couscous rest covered. Covering the pot after the water boils traps steam so the couscous hydrates evenly; uncovered, the water evaporates and the grains stay dry and uneven.

Swap the raisin

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (pepper, tofu, olive):

  1. Limefits better
  2. Avocadofits better
  3. Lemonfits better
  4. Raisinthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against pepper, tofu, olive. 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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