Rice fritters

02/12/2025

Carnival wouldn’t be true Carnival without rice fritters. Similar to fried Castagnole, they’re easy to make and... even easier to eat! Yes, because they’re so irresistibly delicious that one leads to another, with their citrusy aroma of lemon and orange. So tasty, in fact, that it’s a shame to make them only for Carnival: we suggest indulging in this guilty pleasure all year round, whether as a hearty snack or to wrap up a lunch or dinner with friends.

Let’s discover how to prepare rice fritters in their classic version, without filling, using the recipe from Cesarina Anna of San Quirico d’Orcia.

Rice Fritters

The delicious Carnival treats... to make all year round!

DifficultyEasy

Preparation time45m

€

CostLow

Ingredients

½ liter of milk
150 g of rice
150 g of flour
100 g of raisins
50 g of granulated sugar
3 eggs
Zest of 1 lemon and 1 orange
1 small glass of rum or marsala
1 tablespoon of baking powder
1 vanilla bean
A pinch of salt
Peanut oil for frying

Method

If you have time, prepare the dough the night before by cooking the rice in the milk and adding a pinch of salt. Otherwise, you can make it on the same day you'll fry the fritters.
Once the mixture has cooled down, add the eggs, using a wooden spoon, then the sugar, flour, raisins (soaked for a few minutes in the rum), baking powder, vanilla, the small glass of rum or marsala, and the grated zest of the lemon and orange.
Heat some oil in a deep pan, and when it's hot, form small balls with the dough and drop them into the pan.
The oil temperature should remain high throughout the frying process.
Make sure the fritters float, as otherwise they may absorb too much oil. If they sink, just increase the heat. But be careful: if the oil gets too hot, the fritters will burn. Another tip: if the fritters don’t hold their shape when they touch the oil, it means you need to add more flour to thicken the dough.
Once they turn a nice golden color, remove them from the pan and place them on a plate lined with paper towels.
Sprinkle the fritters with sugar and serve them hot or cold.