Sanna (dish)
Sanna and plural Sannas are spongy steamed savoury rice cakes originating from the west Coast of Indian subcontinent. They are popular in Goa and Mangalore in Karnataka, India, especially among the Goans, the Konkani diaspora of Karnataka and of a small community settled in Kerala, and the East Indians and the Kupari community based in and around Mumbai.
Hindus normally use urad dal, coconut water and coconut milk for fermentation. Catholic sannas consist of two types: toddy-fermented sannas and those made using the sap of the coconut palm. Though both of them require rice, sannas are commonly made with coconut palm toddy, and sugar, unlike Idlis that are commonly made with urad dal. They are made on various religious occasions such as Ganesh Chaturthi, Saunsar padvo/Yugadi and Makar Sankranti, whereas Catholics prepare them during church feasts. Sometimes a sweet version is made with jaggery, known as godachi sanna.
Mangalorean Catholic Cuisine is incomplete without sannas. They are a much-loved bread served with pork bafat, a spicy pork dish prepared with a medley of powdered spices. Sannas are also served alongside chicken or mutton curries, or can be eaten for breakfast with coconut chutney or sambhar, or with coconut milk sweetened with jaggery and flavoured with cardamom.
In modern times toddy-fermented sannas are rarely made. Instead, the batter can be leavened with yeast.Citations
