Two soft, pillowy fried bara breads sandwiching curried chickpeas (channa), topped with chutneys and pepper sauce. Trinidad's most iconic street food, eaten for breakfast, lunch, or a late-night snack.
Nutrition & Info
Allergen Warnings
Equipment Needed
Presentation Guide
Vessel: wax paper or paper plate
Garnishes: pepper sauce, chadon beni (culantro)
Accompaniments: tamarind sauce, cucumber chutney
Instructions
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1
Combine the flour, yeast, turmeric, cumin, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Gradually add the warm water while mixing until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms. Knead for five minutes, then coat with a thin layer of oil, cover, and let rise for one hour.
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2
While the dough rises, heat the tablespoon of oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Sauté the diced onion for three minutes, then add the garlic, curry powder, cumin, and minced scotch bonnet. Cook for one minute until the spices are fragrant and bloomed.
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3
Add the cooked chickpeas to the spiced onion base and stir to coat evenly. Add half a cup of water and simmer for fifteen to twenty minutes, mashing some of the chickpeas against the side of the pot to create a thick, saucy consistency while leaving others whole.
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4
Punch down the risen dough and divide it into small balls about the size of a golf ball. Flatten each ball slightly into a disc about four inches in diameter. The dough should be soft and pliable, stretching easily without tearing.
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5
Heat vegetable oil in a deep skillet to one hundred and eighty degrees Celsius. Carefully slide each bara disc into the hot oil and fry for about fifteen seconds per side until puffed, golden, and soft. Drain on paper towels and keep warm.
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6
Assemble each double by placing two freshly fried bara slightly overlapping on a piece of wax paper. Spoon a generous portion of the curried channa between and on top of the two bara, ensuring even coverage across both pieces.
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7
Top the doubles with your choice of tamarind sauce, cilantro chutney, cucumber chutney, and pepper sauce to taste. Fold the paper around the doubles and eat immediately while the bara is still warm and soft, before the sauces soak through completely.
Did You Know?
Doubles is so beloved that Trinidadians abroad will pay premium prices for them at Caribbean restaurants. The doubles vendor's call of 'DOUBLES!' is a distinctive Trinidad sound.
Chef's Notes
Equipment Tips
- deep fryer or pot
- rolling pin
- saucepan
Garnishing
pepper sauce, chadon beni (culantro)
Accompaniments
tamarind sauce, cucumber chutney
The Story Behind Doubles
The Story: Doubles is Trinidad's most beloved street food: two pieces of soft, turmeric-tinged fried dough (bara) filled with curried chickpeas (channa), topped with chutneys and pepper sauce. Created in the 1930s by Emamool Deen and his wife Rasulan in Princes Town, doubles were originally sold as a single bara with channa but were quickly doubled at customers' request, giving the dish its name. The recipe draws on Indian culinary traditions filtered through Trinidadian ingredients and street food culture.
On the Calendar: Doubles are a breakfast and late-night food, sold by vendors who set up stalls before dawn and after dark. They are available every day and are especially sought after during Carnival and public holidays. The phrase slight pepper or plenty pepper is the essential ordering vocabulary.
Then & Now: From a single vendor family in the 1930s, doubles have become Trinidad's national street food, with vendors on virtually every corner. Each doubles vendor has a loyal following based on their specific bara texture, channa seasoning, and condiment offerings. The dish has traveled with the Trinidadian diaspora to become available in Caribbean communities worldwide.
Legacy: Doubles is the great equalizer of Trinidadian food culture: cheap, delicious, and shared by every community on the island, a dish that was born from Indian tradition and became wholly Trinidadian.
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