Name: Tofu Masala Curry
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 15 mL (1 tbsp) vegetable oil; 1 onion, chopped; 8 cloves garlic, minced; 30 ml (2 tbsp) minced ginger; 10 mL (2 tsp) cumin; 10 mL (2 tsp) paprika; 10 mL (2 tsp) chili powder; 10 mL (2 tsp) Garam masala; 10 mL (2 tsp) coriander; 2 mL (½ tsp) salt; 1 can (796 mL/28 oz) diced tomatoes; 250 mL (1 cup) water; 85 mL (⅓ cup) coconut milk; 1 package (400 g/14 oz) extra firm tofu, diced

Why it works: Cumin and coriander match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 3,866 recipes. Both carry beta-phellandrene, which smells minty, terpene. The science ↓

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.

Cumin + coriandertop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together3,866 recipes

Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
Clove + gingertop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together6,038 recipes

Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
Onion + garlictop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together29,058 recipes

Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).
Ginger + coriandertop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together3,505 recipes

Shared aroma: trans-2-decenal (waxy, orange).
Garlic + cumintop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together5,082 recipes

Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).

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

What each ingredient does

Onion: Softens and sweetens as it cooks, forming the flavour base of the sauce.
Garlic: Adds pungent aroma that mellows and sweetens with gentle cooking.
Diced tomatoes: Provide acidity and liquid that cook down into the body of the sauce.
Coconut milk: Adds fat and creaminess, giving the blended sauce a smoother, richer texture.
Extra firm tofu: Supplies protein and a firm texture that holds its shape in the simmering sauce.

The step that matters

Blending the sauce until smooth. Blending must happen after the sauce has thickened and cooled slightly for safe handling; a hot, full blender can spatter or pressurise. Smoothness depends on fully cooked tomato and onion pieces breaking down easily.

Swap the coconut

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (onion, clove, garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, tomato):

Limefits better
Avocadofits better
Lemonfits about as well
Coconutthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against onion, clove, garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, tomato. 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.

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Coconut	1/2 cup shredded (40g)	283
Olive Oil	1 tbsp (14g)	119
Tofu	100g firm	76
Onion	1 medium (110g)	44
Tomato	1 medium (123g)	22
Cumin	1 tsp ground (2.1g)	8
Chili	1 tsp (2.7g)	8
Garlic	1 clove (3g)	4
Ginger	1 tsp grated fresh (2g)	2
Salt	1 tsp (6g)	0
Coriander	not in our table	0
Water	not in our table	0

Tofu Masala Curry