Beignets are a classic New Orleans confection that can be enjoyed any time of day. They are a light and fluffy pastry that is fried until golden brown and dusted with powdered sugar. While beignets are often associated with the French Quarter, they can be found all over the city. One variation of the beignet is the calas creole rice beignet. This savory side dish is packed with flavor and is a popular addition to many Creole meals.
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CALAS (CREOLE RICE BEIGNETS)
A great use for leftover rice, these beignets feature raisins and cinnamon and are great for a Sunday brunch.
Provided by Gabrielle in DC
Categories Bread Yeast Bread Recipes
Time 1h40m
Yield 8
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Combine water and sugar in a small bowl. Add yeast and let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. Add rice and stir well. Cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature, about 10 minutes.
- Lightly mash the rice mixture, leaving some grains intact. Stir in eggs, raisins, salt, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix in flour and cashews until well incorporated. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
- Heat enough oil in a large saucepan to cover the beignets. Drop spoonfuls of batter into the hot oil; cook until browned, turning once, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Promptly sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 218.2 calories, Carbohydrate 30.4 g, Cholesterol 46.5 mg, Fat 9.1 g, Fiber 1.2 g, Protein 4.5 g, SaturatedFat 1.6 g, Sodium 311.1 mg, Sugar 12.7 g
CALAS (FRIED RICE BALLS)
In days gone bye, horse-drawn carts in the streets of New Orleans sold these wonderful, aromatic rice cakes. They have never been widely available in restaurants. They make a great breakfast or snack. These sweets were very popular.
Provided by Miss Annie
Categories Dessert
Time 40m
Yield 4-6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and vanilla.
- Thoroughly mix the rice and eggs together in a separate bowl.
- Add the dry ingredients to the rice and egg mixture.
- When thoroughly mixed, drop by spoonfuls into the hot deep fat (about 360 degrees F) and fry until brown.
- Drain on paper towel.
- Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve while hot.
- Other variations are to serve with honey.
CALAS
The cala (pronounced cah-LAH) has roots in Ghana. In 18th century New Orleans, Creole women of color who had the day off from their domestic jobs sold them out of baskets, shouting, "Calas, belles, calas tout chauds!" (Beautiful calas, very hot!) Save for a few Creole grandmothers, who made them for special events like First Communion and Mardi Gras, calas had almost faded away. Since Hurricane Katrina, they have reappeared in some New Orleans restaurants, as a dessert or in the form of savory fritters made with wild rice and smoked catfish or with duck confit.
Provided by Kim Severson
Categories appetizer
Time 20m
Yield About 12 calas (4 to 6 servings)
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- In a fryer or a deep pot, add oil to a depth of at least three inches, and bring to 360 degrees. In a large bowl, combine rice, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and nutmeg.
- In a small bowl, mix together eggs and vanilla. Add to rice mixture and stir with a fork until well blended. Keep mixture cool (below 70 degrees) so that it will not separate when dropped into hot oil.
- When oil is correct temperature, drop in heaping tablespoons of batter. Calas will brown on one side and turn themselves over. When browned on both sides, after about 5 minutes, remove them with a wire skimmer and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar, and serve hot.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 337, UnsaturatedFat 2 grams, Carbohydrate 68 grams, Fat 3 grams, Fiber 0 grams, Protein 7 grams, SaturatedFat 1 gram, Sodium 237 milligrams, Sugar 10 grams, TransFat 0 grams
CALAS
Calas (pronounced ka-LA) are round balls of a batter made from flour, sugar, eggs, yeast and leftover rice; the balls are fried until they're piping hot, creating a crisp, browned crust. The rice in the batter breaks down, giving the cooked calas an alluringly spongy, creamy texture, and the yeast makes them seem to be perfumed with rum.
Provided by Lolis Eric Elie
Categories dessert
Time 30m
Yield makes 15 to 20
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Dissolve the yeast in 1 cup warm water and set aside. In a medium bowl, use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to combine the rice and eggs. Add 1 cup of the flour, the brown sugar, salt and nutmeg; mix well. Mix in up to 1 cup additional flour to make a batter that is thick but liquid enough to be dropped easily from a spoon. Add the yeast mixture and mix thoroughly. Cover with a clean dish towel and let stand overnight at room temperature.
- Place the oil in a 3-quart casserole or Dutch oven. Heat to 350 degrees. Drop heaping tablespoons of batter into the oil and fry until nicely browned. Drain on a double thickness of paper towels. Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve while hot.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 574, UnsaturatedFat 38 grams, Carbohydrate 31 grams, Fat 49 grams, Fiber 0 grams, Protein 4 grams, SaturatedFat 8 grams, Sodium 78 milligrams, Sugar 5 grams, TransFat 0 grams
RICE CALAS (NEW ORLEANS RICE FRITTERS) RECIPE
Steps:
- Whisk the eggs until well beaten.
- Stir in the cooled rice, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, vanilla, and baking powder.
- Add about 1 cup of flour or just enough flour to hold the batter together. It should be thick enough to drop from a spoon and stay together but not too thick.
- Heat oil in the deep fryer to 365 F.
- Drop batter by heaping teaspoonfuls or small cookie scoop into the hot oil.
- Fry in small batches for about 4 to 6 minutes, until golden brown and crisp, turning to brown evenly.
- Drain on paper towels and generously sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.
- Serve You Might Also Like Spiced Apple Fritters Old-Fashioned Doughnuts
Nutrition Facts : Calories 156 kcal, Carbohydrate 16 g, Cholesterol 31 mg, Fiber 0 g, Protein 2 g, SaturatedFat 1 g, Sodium 125 mg, Sugar 5 g, Fat 9 g, ServingSize 18 servings, UnsaturatedFat 0 g
CALAS (CREOLE RICE BEIGNETS)
A great use for leftover rice, these beignets feature raisins and cinnamon and are great for a Sunday brunch.
Provided by Gabrielle in DC
Categories Yeast Bread
Time 1h40m
Yield 8
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Combine water and sugar in a small bowl. Add yeast and let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. Add rice and stir well. Cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature, about 10 minutes.
- Lightly mash the rice mixture, leaving some grains intact. Stir in eggs, raisins, salt, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix in flour and cashews until well incorporated. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
- Heat enough oil in a large saucepan to cover the beignets. Drop spoonfuls of batter into the hot oil; cook until browned, turning once, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Promptly sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 218.2 calories, Carbohydrate 30.4 g, Cholesterol 46.5 mg, Fat 9.1 g, Fiber 1.2 g, Protein 4.5 g, SaturatedFat 1.6 g, Sodium 311.1 mg, Sugar 12.7 g
RAISED CALAS - CREOLE DEEP FRIED RICE CAKES
In times gone by, people of color sold these delicious cakes in the Vieux Carre of old New Orleans. A Sunday morning church service was followed by a trip there to hear them singing "Belle Cala, Tout Chaud!" and to carry supplies of them home for breakfast to be served with cane syrup or jam. Overnight rising time not included in preparation time. From the Creole chapter of the United States Regional Cookbook, culinary Arts Institute of Chicago, 1947.
Provided by Molly53
Categories Breakfast
Time 20m
Yield 20 calas
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Cook rice until very soft.
- Drain, mash, and cool to lukewarm.
- Add yeast, beat and let rise overnight.
- In the morning, add remaining ingredients.
- Beat again and let rise about 20 minutes in a warm place.
- Preheat oil to 365°F.
- Drop batter by tablespoons into oil and fry until golden brown.
- Drain on paper towels and serve hot.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 44.5, Fat 0.8, SaturatedFat 0.2, Cholesterol 31.7, Sodium 185.9, Carbohydrate 7.7, Fiber 0.1, Sugar 2.6, Protein 1.5
Tips:
- Use high-quality ingredients: Fresh, high-quality ingredients will make all the difference in the taste of your calas. Use long grain rice, and make sure your milk and eggs are fresh.
- Let the batter rest: Resting the batter allows the rice to absorb the liquid and swell, which will make for a lighter, fluffier calas.
- Don't overcrowd the frying pan: When frying the calas, don't overcrowd the pan, or they will not cook evenly. Fry them in batches, if necessary.
- Serve immediately: Calas are best served hot and fresh out of the fryer. They can be served with a variety of toppings, such as butter, honey, powdered sugar, or fruit.
Conclusion:
Calas are a delicious and easy-to-make Creole rice beignet that can be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. They are a great way to use up leftover rice, and they can be topped with a variety of sweet or savory ingredients. Whether you are a seasoned cook or a beginner, you will find that calas are a fun and rewarding dish to make. So next time you are looking for something new to try, give calas a try!
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