Sweet fritters called calas are believed to have arrived in the American South with enslaved Africans in the 1700s. Made with leftover rice added to sweetened batter and deep-fried until golden before being coated in confectioners’ sugar, calas (pronouced “kah-lahs”) gained popularity as a street food staple sold by African women in New Orleans.
Spiced Orange Calas
Makes 25
Ingredients
- ½ cup warm water (110° to 115°)
- 8 tablespoons sugar, divided
- 1 (0.25-ounce) package active dry yeast
- 2 cups cooked long-grain rice, room temperature
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons lightly packed orange zest, divided
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom, divided
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger, divided
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Vegetable oil, for frying
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine ½ cup warm water, 3 tablespoons sugar, and yeast. Cover and let stand until foamy, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Stir rice into yeast mixture until well combined. Cover and let stand at room temperature for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- In another medium bowl, whisk together flour, ½ teaspoon orange zest, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon cardamom, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, and ¼ teaspoon ginger. Add to yeast mixture, and gently fold until combined.
- In another medium bowl, whisk together eggs and vanilla until frothy. Add to yeast mixture, and gently fold until combined. Cover and let stand in a warm, draft-free place (75°) for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, in a large stockpot or Dutch oven, pour oil to a depth of 2 inches. Heat over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350°.
- Using a 1½-tablespoon spring-loaded scoop, scoop batter, and carefully drop into hot oil in batches of 5; fry, turning occasionally, until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from oil, and let drain on paper towels
- In a small bowl, combine remaining 5 tablespoons sugar, remaining 1 teaspoon orange zest, remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, remaining ¼ teaspoon cardamom, remaining ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, and remaining ¼ teaspoon ginger. Roll warm calas in sugar mixture. Serve warm.
Watch how to make these delicious little treats on our Youtube channel! https://youtu.be/C0S_CSX3dcs?si=ZiYYLxoRfdqmrMZs
I love CALAS. I grew up on them. It was wonderful to see this recipe listed. Thank you for sharing it. CALAS TOUT CHOU !!
I Rate this recipe at 5 stars!! ⭐️s