Why it works: Carrot and onion are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 6% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 21,601 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
Harissa Aubergine Kebabs with Minty Carrot Salad
Serves 2Ingredients
Directions
Step-by-step directions aren't available for this recipe. See the full recipe at the source →
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Carrot | 1 medium (61g) | 25 |
| Vinegar | 1 tbsp (15ml) distilled | 3 |
| Harissa | not in our table | 0 |
| Peppermint | 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.
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.
-
Carrot + oniontop 6% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together21,601 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Red wine + vinegartop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together575 recipes
Shared aroma: sotolon (curry, maple).
-
Harissa + minttop 10% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together64 recipes
Shared aroma: alpha-pinene (pine, turpentine).
-
Carrot + minttop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together538 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
-
Harissa + carrottop 12% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together46 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine (green bell pepper, earthy).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
Swap the harissa
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (red wine, vinegar, carrot, onion, mint):
- Thymefits better
- Parsleyfits better
- Rosemaryfits better
- Harissathe original
Fit is the average pairing score against red wine, vinegar, carrot, onion, mint. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
The free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.
