Sannas or Goan idlis are made with a batter similar to the appam batter that we use in the South. In the early days, toddy, also called kallu, or sur was used to ferment the batter. Toddy is the sap collected from the inflorescence of the coconut/palm tree.

Toddy is well-known along the West coast of India, esp in Kerala. It is sweet when fresh and turns sour and mildly alcoholic when left to sit. Toddy is very hard to find these days, so most people use yeast to ferment the batter. Some people make homemade toddy with coconut water and commercial yeast.

I was not interested in toddy, nor did I like the yeasty texture of the batter. So, I came up with this fermented water using coconut water, idli batter, and sugar.

You just need to mix it all up and let it sit on the counter for 24 -48 hours, depending on the climatic conditions of your place.

It’s done when you see small bubbles or a thin layer at the top and the taste is mildly sweet and sour. Use this liquid to grind the batter.

Since fermentation of this liquid is completely dependent on wild yeast, it will take some time to ferment so plan accordingly. Also, this liquid is only for the purpose of making aapams or sannas.

It is slightly similar to the coconut kefir, but not kefir as it does not use kefir grains. It’s more comparable to a sourdough starter. Will update you on whether it works as a sourdough starter.

This liquid contains raw idli batter which is normally not consumed uncooked. So I would recommend you to use it just for the purpose intended.

O’er to the recipe…

Print Recipe

Fermented water for sannas

This fermented water works well for Indian recipes like aapam/appam or sannas

Prep Time5

Fermentation time1 12

Total Time1 12 5

Course: Condiments

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: How to make appam without yeast, Sannas without yeast

Author: Hema Magesh

Ingredients

¼ cup coconut water
¼ cup warm water
1 tsp idli batter
1 tsp sugar

Instructions

Take the sugar and batter in a clean glass container. Add the water and give it a good mix.
Next, add the coconut water and mix well.
Cover it with a cloth or tissue paper and loosely place the lid on top. Let it sit on the countertop for at least 24 hours and up to 48 hours.
It's done when you see tiny bubbles or a thin layer on top and the liquid tastes mildly sweet and sour.

Hema’s P.S

This measurement is for half a cup of fermented water. Increase according to need.
Wait for a minimum of 24 hours. In cold climates, you may have to keep it longer.
I usually keep it for 24 hours, occasionally 36 or 48 hours. It worked well for both.
If you aren’t able to grind the batter as planned you can move the fermented water to the refrigerator for 1-2 days. It works but the liquid tends to become slimy.