Calas
Ingredients
&w=3840&q=75){kind=small}
&w=3840&q=75){kind=small}
&w=3840&q=75){kind=small}
- 1 cups whole milk – warmed to 110°F
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs – lightly beaten
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups cooked long-grain white rice – day-old, fluffed
- 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 1/2 quarts vegetable oil – for deep-frying
- powdered sugar – for serving
Instructions
1. In a measuring cup, whisk the warm milk and yeast and let stand until foamy, 5–10 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, granulated sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until smooth.
3. Stir the fluffed, day-old cooked rice into the egg mixture until evenly coated and broken up.
4. Pour the foamy yeast mixture into the bowl and stir to combine.
5. Add the flour and fold until a thick, scoopable batter forms; it should hold a soft mound on a spoon. If very loose, add 1–2 tbsp more flour.
6. Cover the bowl and let the batter rise in a warm place until puffy and nearly doubled, 60–75 minutes.
7. Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy pot to 350°F. Line a sheet pan with paper towels and set a wire rack on top.
8. Using two spoons, drop heaping tablespoonfuls of batter into the hot oil without crowding.
9. Fry until deep golden brown and cooked through, 2–3 minutes per side (4–5 minutes total), adjusting heat to maintain 350°F. Fritters should float and feel light when done.
10. Transfer fritters to the rack to drain and repeat with remaining batter, allowing the oil to return to 350°F between batches.
11. Dust generously with powdered sugar (for serving) and serve hot while crisp and tender.
Calas are New Orleans rice fritters with a delicate crisp exterior and a tender, steamy interior studded with grains of rice. Lightly sweet and perfumed with warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, they’re typically showered with powdered sugar and eaten piping hot. The texture sits somewhere between a beignet and a hushpuppy, but the rice keeps them moist and pleasantly chewy. They’re especially inviting at breakfast or as a sweet snack, best enjoyed moments after frying.
Rooted in Creole cooking, calas trace back to West African rice traditions carried to Louisiana, where rice was plentiful. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, calas were sold in the streets by the famed “calas women,” who called out, “Belle calas! Tout chauds!” as they carried baskets of hot fritters. Over time, beignets overshadowed calas, and the tradition nearly faded before being revived by food historians and local cooks. Today, they remain a cherished link to the city’s Creole heritage and the ingenuity of making something luxurious from leftover rice.