Why it works: Corn and beans match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 3% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,211 recipes. Both carry 2,3-pentanedione, which smells butter, sweet. The science ↓
Tubani
Ingredients
Directions
Blend all the ingredients together, adding water as needed to make a smooth dough.
Mold the dough into your desired shape.
Fry the dough in vegetable oil.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Corn | 1/2 cup kernels (82g) | 77 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Soy Bean | not in our table | 0 |
| Leaf | 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.
-
Corn + beanstop 3% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,211 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3-pentanedione (butter, sweet).
-
Corn + peppertop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,324 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
-
Beans + peppertop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,733 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Corn
- Provides the starchy base that gives the dough its body and bulk.
- Soy beans
- Adds protein that helps the dough hold together and set when fried.
- Chilli pepper
- Adds heat and pungent flavour to the dough.
- Vegetable oil
- Transfers heat to the dough, driving off moisture and browning and crisping the surface.
The step that matters
Adjusting the water for a smooth dough. Water hydrates the starches and proteins so they bind into a cohesive dough. Too little leaves it crumbly and hard to shape, while too much makes it sticky and likely to lose its shape in the hot oil.
Swap the beans
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (corn, pepper):
- Beansthe original
- Black-eyed peafits about as well
- Lima beansfits less well
- Chickpeafits less well
Fit is the average pairing score against corn, pepper. 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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