September. Can you believe it’s already September? This summer has been such a busy one, I’ve barely noticed it fly away. And yet, evidence of the approaching season change is everywhere: fog, rain, wind. Fortunately, this week’s recipe from The Breakfast Book for our little project will sure get you ready for the colder weather.

Calas. Those little deep fried cakes are flavored with nutmeg and are quite unique with a very distinct taste. They also remind me of mekitsi – a traditional Bulgarian dish from my childhood, which is very similar (except for the rice involved) – and that’s always a bonus point 😉

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups water + ½ cup warm water
• ½ cup long grain white rice
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 packages dry yeast
• 3 eggs
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tsp grated lemon zest (optional)
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour, divided
• vegetable oil for frying
• powdered sugar for sprinkling

Directions:

1. Bring the 1 ½ cup water to a boil. Add the rice and salt, lower the heat, and cook until mushy (about 25 minutes). If there’s any liquid left, drain well. Transfer the rice to a medium bowl and mash with a fork.
2. In a small bowl, stir the warm water and the yeast together. Let rest for 5min until foamy, then stir into the rice. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand overnight.
3. On the next day, in another bowl, beat well the eggs, then mix in the sugar, lemon zest, nutmeg, and 1 cup flour. Transfer to the rice mixture and mix well. Stir in final ½ cup flour. Cover again and let rise for at least 30 minutes. (I waited 60 minutes for the batter to get really “fluffy”).
4. In a large, deep skillet, pour vegetable oil to about 1 ½ inches deep and heat. Drop a tiny bit of batter to test when the oil is hot enough to try. Once it is, drop batter by heaping tablespoons. Fry several calas at once, without overcrowding the pan, 1 to 1.5min per side, depending on the size. When done, transfer onto paper towels to absorb any excess oil before serving.
5. Finally, sprinkle with powdered sugar and enjoy!

And while you are enjoying those, don’t forget to check out what my fellow bloggers are doing for the Cook the Book project ;-): Rachel, Natasha, Aimee, Sammy, and Emily.