Sannas are spongy steamed savoury rice cakes. They are popular in Goa and Mangalore in Karnataka. Mangalorean Catholic Cuisine is incomplete without Sannas. This typically coastal Indian food is eaten with curries, stir-fries and even on its own. Sannas can be eaten for breakfast with coconut chutney or sambhar. It can also be eaten with ‘sweet roce’ which is a syrup made of coconut milk sweetened with jaggery and flavoured with cardamom. Every Goan is familiar with the delicious of Goan Sannas which is a steam rice cake.

Sannas are made on various religious occasions such as Ganesh Chaturthi, Ugadi and Makar Sankranti by the Hindus, whereas Catholics prepare them during church feasts. There are generally two versions, a sweet one with jaggery and a plain one which was eat with Sorpotel and Vindaloo. The sweet version is made with jaggery, known as "Godachi Sanna".

Ingredients:

500 gms rice

2 medium sized coconuts

2 and 1/2 tsp dried yeast

2 tsp sugar (to mix with yeast)

Salt to taste

4 tsp sugar

1 cup warm water

Method:

Wash the rice well and soak in water overnight. In the morning, drain the water and grind the rice into a fine paste.

Scrape the coconut out of the shell and grind it into a paste too.

Mix yeast with 2 tsp of sugar and the warm water. Stir well. Allow to sit for a few minutes and it will begin to rise.

Mix the rice and coconut pastes together in a large, deep bowl and add the yeast water. Mix well to form a thick batter.

Allow this batter to ferment for 4-5 hours.

Grease an Idli stand with a little cooking oil and pour enough batter into the mould to fill about 3/4 of the way.

Put the Idli stand into a steamer and steam for 20 minutes at least or till cooked a toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean, on high flame.

When cooked, gently remove from the Idli moulds and serve hot with a curry of choice.