Calas: New Orleans Sweet Fried Rice Cakes (Mardi Gras Recipe)
Mardi Gras is just round the corner and this recipe will definitely get you in the festive mood. Calas are deep-fried rice cakes, made with sugar, flour, eggs and rice. It was a popular breakfast food in New Orleans in the early 20th century, and has a mention in most Creole cuisine cookbooks. They are delicious either for breakfast with jam, or at teatime served like scones with jam and cream. If they are made with salt and pepper instead of sugar, calas go well with bacon and eggs. Calas are also perfect served as a dessert or snack put together nicely with coffee.If you have recipe you would like to see me make, let me know in the comments below. Let me know of what you think of this recipe on via twitter or instagram(@vegetarianbaker & #thevegetarianbaker)
- 2 cups cooked rice (should be cold)
- 6 tablespoons flour
- 4 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Dash of Ground Cinnamon
- Dash of Ground Nutmeg
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
- Powdered sugar, for garnish
- In a deep fryer (or large pan) heat canola/vegetable oil to 360*F.
- Mix cooked, cooled rice with all the dry ingredients.
- Fold in the eggs and vanilla and mix until a thick batter is formed.
- When the oil is hot use two tablespoons to form a spoon-sized, almost egg shaped and carefully place into hot oil.
- The cakes will sink to the bottom of the hot oil, rise to the surface and then flip over when one side is done.
- Fry to a golden brown and remove to paper towel with a slotted spoon.
- Sprinkle with icing sugar and serve hot.
