Sanna (dish)

Sanna is a savory, steamed dumpling that is light and spongy, made without any filling. Its original recipe uses red rice, black lentils, and coconut, and it comes from the Konkan region along India’s western coast.

The dish first appeared in Goa, Damaon, Bombay, and Bassein (now Vasai). It is especially loved by Goans—both Hindus and Christians—and by Konkani communities who have moved to places like Karachi, Sindh, Gujarat, Karnataka, and Kerala. The people of the Konkan division, including the Kupari of the Bombay East Indian community, also make sannas.

Hindus typically ferment the batter with urad dal, coconut water, and coconut milk. Among Catholic Christians, there are two types: one made with toddy from coconut flowers, and another using sap-toddy from the coconut palm.

Both require the same varieties of rice, and sannas are usually fermented with coconut, unlike idlis which use yeast. Sannas are prepared for special occasions: Hindus make them for Ganesh Chaturthi, Sonsar Padvo (Yugadi), and Makar Sankranti, while Catholics serve them at church feasts, christenings, and weddings. A sweet version, called godachi sanna, is made with jaggery.

In Mangalorean Catholic cuisine, sannas are essential for festive meals. They are a beloved accompaniment to bafat, a spicy pork curry made with a blend of ground spices. Sannas also go well with chicken or mutton curries, and were once served with beef before the beef bans in India. For breakfast, they can be eaten with coconut chutney or sambhar, or with coconut milk sweetened with jaggery and flavored with cardamom.

Today, because toddy is hard to find or banned in some areas, and extracting fresh coconut milk is a long, difficult process, sannas have become a rare treat, made only during Konkani celebrations. Sometimes, idlis—made from white rice and yeast-based batter—are used as a substitute.