- Medium
- 65 min
- 2 serv.
- 14 synergies
- Now at its best: Onion
Tender chicken in a Mexican mole-style sauce with toasted almonds, tomato, cumin, cinnamon and cayenne. Served with jasmine rice and black beans for a rich, warmly spiced dinner.
This is the kind of plate that deserves to arrive slowly: steaming rice, dark sauce and chicken softened in spiced tomato. The almonds are toasted first, giving the mole-style sauce a rounded, nutty depth without making it heavy. Cinnamon, cumin and cayenne bring warmth; not heat for the sake of it, but just enough to give every bite a little mystery. The black beans keep the dish earthy and satisfying, while the rice catches the sauce the way a good side should. Serve it on a quiet evening when you want something richer than a quick curry, but still want the comfort of one main pan.
- 20
- min prep
- 45
- min cook
- 65
- min total
Nutritional Synergies
This recipe combines ingredients that enhance each other:
cayenne pepper 
turmeric Capsaicin increases curcumin absorption
Technical: Capsaicin from cayenne increases intestinal mucosa permeability via TRPV1 activation, allowing larger molecules like curcumin to be better absorbed. This mechanism is similar to but independent from the piperine effect. Capsaicin's thermogenic action also enhances blood flow to the gut.
What does this mean for you? Combine cayenne with turmeric in curries or soups. The cayenne helps your gut absorb more curcumin — a different mechanism than black pepper, so adding both is optimal.
Anti-inflammatoryJoints
cayenne pepper 
olive oil Fat-soluble capsaicin is better absorbed with olive oil
Technical: Capsaicin is fat-soluble and absorbed 2-3x better with dietary fat. Olive oil also reduces stomach irritation that cayenne can cause, while oleocanthal adds bioactive action.
What does this mean for you? Add cayenne pepper to olive oil-based sauces or dressings. The fat improves absorption and the oil tempers the spiciness.
Weight LossAnti-inflammatoryHeart
chicken breast turmeric Classic curry combination with complementary bioactive action
Technical: Chicken breast provides 31g protein per 100g with high leucine content (2.4g) for muscle protein synthesis (mTOR activation). After intense exercise, inflammatory processes occur, in part via NF-κB signaling. Curcumin directly modulates NF-κB, supporting muscle recovery without blocking the adaptive training response. Chicken proteins provide building material, curcumin optimizes the recovery process.
What does this mean for you? Make a chicken-turmeric curry as a post-workout meal. The chicken provides proteins for muscle building, the turmeric may support muscle recovery after training. Add black pepper and coconut milk for optimal curcumin absorption.
Muscle GainAnti-inflammatory
cumin 
garlic Double digestive support: enzymes + bioactive compounds
Technical: Cumin promotes digestive enzyme activity (amylase, lipase, protease) and increases bile flow. Garlic's allicin has broad bioactivity targeting pathogenic gut bacteria while sparing beneficial ones.
What does this mean for you? Fry garlic and cumin together as base for curries, soups and stews. Classic combination in virtually every cuisine in the world.
DigestionImmune System
cumin turmeric Classic curry base with enhanced digestion
Technical: Cumin promotes production of digestive enzymes (amylase, lipase, protease) and increases bile flow. Turmeric's curcumin modulates NF-κB and COX-2 signal transduction and supports hepatobiliary activity via bile stimulation. Together they provide enhanced digestion + bioactive action.
What does this mean for you? Cumin + turmeric is the base of every curry. The cumin promotes your digestion, the turmeric adds bioactive action — the perfect combination for a nutritious curry.
DigestionAnti-inflammatory
cumin olive oil Fat activates volatile oils and increases cuminaldehyde absorption
Technical: Cumin's active compounds (cuminaldehyde, cymene, terpinene) are volatile, fat-soluble compounds. Frying in olive oil extracts and stabilizes these compounds, and the fat improves their gut absorption.
What does this mean for you? Briefly fry cumin in olive oil before adding other ingredients (tadka/tempering). This is why Indian and Middle Eastern cuisines always fry cumin in oil.
DigestionAnti-inflammatoryBlood Sugar
cumin 
black pepper Piperine increases absorption of cumin's active compounds 2-3x
Technical: Cumin contains cuminaldehyde and thymoquinone with digestive-promoting and bioactive properties. Piperine from black pepper inhibits CYP3A4 enzymes, reducing breakdown and improving absorption 2-3x.
What does this mean for you? Always add black pepper to dishes with cumin. This is why many spice blends (garam masala, ras el hanout) contain both.
DigestionAnti-inflammatory
turmeric black pepper Increases curcumin absorption by 2000%
Technical: Curcumin from turmeric has bioavailability below 1% due to rapid glucuronidation in the liver. Piperine from black pepper inhibits UGT (UDP-glucuronosyltransferase) and CYP3A4, preventing curcumin breakdown. This increases bioavailability by 2000% (20x). Use ratio ¼ teaspoon pepper to 1 teaspoon turmeric.
What does this mean for you? ALWAYS add black pepper when using turmeric. Without pepper your body absorbs virtually nothing — with pepper 20x more. This is the most important food synergy there is.
Anti-inflammatoryJointsFocus
olive oil garlic Aglio e olio: allicin + oleocanthal via complementary biochemical pathways
Technical: Garlic contains allicin (formed when cutting/crushing) that influences HMG-CoA reductase (involved in lipid metabolism). Olive oil contains oleocanthal that modulates COX-1/2 enzymes. Together they influence lipid metabolism and prostaglandin cascade via complementary biochemical pathways. The fat also helps absorb fat-soluble garlic compounds.
What does this mean for you? Gently warm garlic in olive oil (don't burn!) as the base for many dishes. This is why 'aglio e olio' pasta is so beloved — two bioactive compounds that reinforce each other.
HeartImmune System
tomato passata olive oil Heated + fats = 5x more lycopene absorption
Technical: Tomato passata is already heated, releasing lycopene from cell walls in cis-form (better absorbable than trans-lycopene in raw tomato). Olive oil fats create micelles transporting this released lycopene through the gut wall. Basil adds eugenol (COX-2 inhibitor). Absorption increases up to 5x.
What does this mean for you? Make pasta sauce with tomato passata, olive oil and basil. You absorb up to 5x more lycopene than from raw tomato — great for your heart and skin.
HeartSkin & Hair
tomato passata 
onion Lycopene + quercetin for broad-spectrum antioxidant protection
Technical: Tomato passata contains bioavailable lycopene (12-15mg/100g) from the cooking process. Onion's quercetin (20mg/100g) is a flavonoid that works complementarily to lycopene: lycopene neutralizes singlet oxygen (lipid phase), quercetin scavenges hydroxyl radicals and superoxide (aqueous phase). Together they cover the complete antioxidant spectrum. Onion's sulfur compounds also support Phase II biotransformation enzymes that process lycopene metabolites.
What does this mean for you? Passata with sauteed onion is the base of Italian cuisine (sugo). It's a top antioxidant duo you can eat daily — simple, affordable and effective.
HeartSkin & HairAnti-inflammatory
onion garlic More than 20 organosulfur compounds in one soffritto
Technical: Onion contains diallyl disulfide and quercetin (20-40mg/100g). Garlic contains allicin, ajoene and S-allylcysteine. Together they provide more than 20 different organosulfur compounds that modulate NF-κB. Allium crops are intensively studied in nutrition science for their unique sulfur chemistry.
What does this mean for you? Start every dish with sautéed onion and garlic — not just for flavor, but for the unique concentration of organosulfur compounds. Cut garlic 10 minutes before heating to allow allicin formation.
DigestionImmune System
sea salt olive oil Minerals + polyphenols for cellular balance
Technical: Sea salt's sodium is essential for the sodium-potassium pump (Na+/K+-ATPase) that regulates every body cell. Olive oil's oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol provide antioxidant protection for cell membranes. The combination supports cell integrity: sea salt regulates ion balance, olive oil protects the membrane. In Mediterranean cuisine, coarse sea salt + olive oil is the most basic flavor profile.
What does this mean for you? Freshly ground sea salt with extra virgin olive oil is the simplest and most nutritious finishing of any dish. The combination provides the basic needs of your cells: minerals for function, polyphenols for protection.
HeartGeneral Wellness
black pepper olive oil Fat increases piperine absorption and enhances polyphenols
Technical: Piperine is fat-soluble and absorbed 2-3x better with dietary fat. Olive oil's oleocanthal and piperine both modulate COX signal transduction through different mechanisms, providing additive bioactive effect.
What does this mean for you? Grind fresh pepper over salads with olive oil dressing. The combination enhances both pepper absorption and bioactive action.
Anti-inflammatoryHeartDigestion
Ingredients (15)
+12 more ingredients
Instructions
- 1 Toast the almonds: Toast the almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3 minutes, until fragrant and lightly coloured. Shake the pan regularly.
- 2 Blend the paste: Blend the toasted almonds with onion, garlic, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, black pepper and 100 ml water into the smoothest paste possible.
Nutrition per serving
Indicative values per serving.
Timing & Suitability
Shelf life: 2 days in fridge
Tags & Diet
Allergens: Nuts