Rice Fritters Creole Calas

Rice Fritters Creole Calas

Creole Calas (pronounced ka-LAs) are traditional New Orleans deep-fried rice fritters made primarily from cooked rice, eggs, sugar, and flour. Known as the “lesser-known cousin” of the beignet, these fritters are typically spiced with nutmeg and cinnamon and served hot with a dusting of powdered sugar.

Calas carry a powerful history as a symbol of entrepreneurial spirit and freedom for enslaved people in 18th and 19th-century New Orleans.  The dish was brought to Louisiana by enslaved West Africans from rice-growing regions. The name likely derives from the Nupe word kárá, meaning “fried cake”.

In the 1700s, enslaved women—often called “Cala women”—were permitted to sell these fritters on Sundays after church in the French Quarter. Under Spanish law (coartacion), they could use the earnings to purchase their own freedom and that of their families.

Vendors were famous for their melodic chant: “Belle Calas! Tout Chauds!” (Beautiful Calas! Very Hot!).

Servings: About 24

INGREDIENTS

  • 1/2 cup long-grain rice
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups boiling water
  • 1 package dry yeast
  • 1/2 cup very warm water (110 to 115 degrees)
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon mace
  • Oil for deep-frying
  • Powdered sugar

STEPS

  1. Boil the rice in salted water until soft and mushy (about 30 minutes). Dissolve the yeast in warm water and, when the rice is cool, beat the yeast into the rice by hand or food processor. Cover the bowl and let the rice ripen in a warm place for 4 hours or more.
  2. Beat the eggs with the sugar until light and fold into the rice. Mix the flour with the spices and add to the rice mixture. Let the mixture rise again for about 30 minutes.
  3. Heat the oil to 375 degrees and drop the batter by large spoonfuls into the oil and fry until they are golden brown. Drain on a paper towel-lined baking sheet in a low (200-degree) oven, to keep the cooked fritters warm while you cook more. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve hot.

NOTES

Note: the Picayune recipe does not call for mace, but the ingredient is in perfect keeping with the cooking of that time, when mace was a much-used spice.

Just a little bit extra…

Source: Rice Fritters Creole Calas