Sannas | Super Soft Mangalore Idlis | Mangalorean Sanna with Toddy

No feast around Mangalore and Goa is complete without sanna. Sannas are a kind of steamed rice cake. The Mangalorean Sanna recipe is a very unique one, wherein the batter is fermented with Toddy which is called Kallu or Neera in Kannada, Kali in Tulu or sur in Konkani.

Toddy is a beverage that is freshly extracted from different species of palm trees. In Mangalore toddy is got mainly from coconut palms. This tastes sweet when freshly taken and later gets sour as it gets fermented. Freshly extracted toddy is preferred for the preparation of sannas.

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Toddy is available in small outlets around coastal regions and early morning people rush to get this, as later it may get sour. Toddy tapping in the coastal region.

Manglorean Sanna prepared with Toddy has a unique taste and they come out spongy. Toddy can also be prepared at home with coconut water. You can find the link here. How to make toddy at home with coconut water.

There are a few things that we need to take care of while preparing Manglorean sannas. Soaking the rice is very important. Secondly fresh toddy! sometimes toddy shops adulterate the fresh toddy by adding water and other substances to increase the shelf life or volume, which may not be effective in preparation, hence we can prepare this using homemade Toddy.

The next important thing is grinding. Grind dal and cooked rice together to a fine paste and keep aside. Grind rice separately, this can be a little coarse than the dal. Use Toddy while grinding. Retain the water after grinding.

Now comes the important part of mixing and fermenting. Take a vessel that is cylindrical or round with a lid. Pour the ground ingredients and add any leftover Toddy or water that is retained after grinding. The batter should be medium-thin consistency.

For the best fermentation, tie a muslin cloth around the vessel close it with a lid and keep it in a warm place for 8 hours, sometimes it ferments faster. While fermenting, I also keep it in a place where it’s warm, which helps in faster fermentation.

How to Make Coconut Toddy at Home?

Watch the video for the step by step process.

Toddy not available? – Sannas recipe with yeast :

In case you don’t get toddy, you can also use yeast. If it is instant yeast you can add directly while grinding else, take a cup of lukewarm water, add sugar and yeast and dissolve it. Close the lid and wait for a few minutes. You can see the yeast rise. Add it to the batter.

Adding salt and sugar: if you’re adding Toddy add sugar while mixing the batter and in case you are using yeast, it should be added while fermenting the yeast. Salt can be added before fermentation or after.

Once everything is added and the consistency of the batter is set, whisk it well with your hand to create aeration which is important for sannas to get spongy.

Prepare sannas Mangalorean style using a steam pot. Remove from the steam pot and cool them completely before you unmould the sannas. I follow two methods, in a wide and deep plate, I put some water and keep the hot idly cup in it and unmould it. The second way is topple the idly cups and spread a wet cloth and unmould it.

All done now it’s time for you to experiment on the Manglorean Sannas and tell me did they come out spongy? Definitely, you will not get it wrong if all the steps are followed.

How do you eat Sanna?

You can eat Mangalorean sannas with any curry. In Mangalore it is popularly used with yummy pork Bafat, Pork Ragthi or chicken rose curry, Kundapura Chicken Curry and even a simple vegetable stew will also be a good accompaniment.

How do you make Sanna?

Ingredients to Prepare Mangalorean Sannas

400 grams parboiled rice/idli rice
½ cup Urad Dal
½ cup cooked rice
500 ml toddy or 2 Tsp yeast
1½ tsp Salt
2 Tbsp Sugar

Method

Soak parboiled rice/idli rice for a minimum of 4 hours.

Soak urad dal for a minimum of 3 hours.

Grind the soaked dal with cooked rice to a fine paste and keep aside.

Grind the soaked parboiled rice/idli rice. 

Use Toddy for grinding.

Once the batter is ground, pour them into a fermenting pot along with remaining Toddy or yeast mix (check for notes if you are preparing with yeast), sugar and whisk it well. I do this with my hand to create aeration. 

Ensure that you fill only half of the fermenting pot, so take a big vessel. You need enough space for the batter to rise.

Close the lid. Usually, I tie a white muslin cloth around the fermenting pot and close the lid and keep some weight on it.

Ferment for 8 to 10 hours. Sometimes it may rise early depending on the temperature. 

Add salt

Grease the idly cups with little oil and pour the batter only till half. Keep inside the idli steamer and steam it for 20 mins.

Once you remove the idly cups from the steamer, immediately topple it and put a wet cloth on it. It is easier to remove the idlis.

Note – To make idlis with yeast, take lukewarm water, add 1 Tsp of sugar and dissolve it. Add 2 tbsp of yeast and stir it, close a lid and keep some weight on it. You can see the yeast rising in 20 minutes. Add it to the batter before you whisk it.

Recipe Card for Mangalorean Sannas

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