Steamed Indian Pudding

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. Cream + sugartop 9% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together43,450 recipes

   Shared aroma: 2,3-butanedione (butter, sweet).

2. Milk + corntop 10% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together6,955 recipes

   Shared aroma: hexanal (green, grassy).

3. Corn + flourtop 13% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together6,165 recipes

   Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).

4. Milk + flourtop 14% of all pairs
   Smell alikelow
   Cooked together78,219 recipes

   Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).

5. Flour + sugartop 15% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together92,116 recipes

   Shared aroma: phenylacetaldehyde (hawthorne, honey).

Milk and flour barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 78,219 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

Sour milk

Its acidity reacts with the baking soda to produce gas that lightens the pudding.

Baking soda

Reacts with the acidic sour milk to release carbon dioxide, helping the pudding rise.

Coarse corn meal

Provides the bulk and the coarse, hearty structure of the pudding.

Graham flour

Adds structure and a nutty, wholesome flavor and texture to the batter.

Cream

Adds fat and richness, giving the pudding a moister, softer texture.

The step that matters