Name: Trinidadian Doubles
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Caribbean
Ingredients: For bara dough: 2 cups flour, 1 tsp yeast, 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp sugar, water, oil for frying; For channa: 2 cans chickpeas, 2 tbsp curry powder, 1 tsp cumin, 1 onion diced, 3 cloves garlic, 1 scotch bonnet, 2 tbsp oil; Tamarind chutney; Cucumber chutney; Pepper sauce (scotch bonnet based); Chadon beni (culantro) chutney

Two soft fried breads hugging curried chickpeas with chutneys. Trinidad's iconic street food.

The Cultural Story

Doubles were created in the 1930s by the Deen family in Princes Town, Trinidad. Originally sold as a single — one bara with channa — a customer asked for two and the "doubles" was born. It reflects Trinidad's Indian diaspora, transforming the flavors of Punjab into something uniquely Caribbean. Every morning, doubles vendors set up before dawn, and the line forms before the first bara hits the oil.

Ingredients

For bara dough: 2 cups flour, 1 tsp yeast, 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp sugar, water, oil for frying
For channa: 2 cans chickpeas, 2 tbsp curry powder, 1 tsp cumin, 1 onion diced, 3 cloves garlic, 1 scotch bonnet, 2 tbsp oil
Tamarind chutney
Cucumber chutney
Pepper sauce (scotch bonnet based)
Chadon beni (culantro) chutney

Instructions

1Make the bara: mix flour, yeast, turmeric, sugar, and enough water for a soft, sticky dough. Knead 5 minutes. Rest for 1 hour until doubled.
2Make the channa: saute onion and garlic in oil. Add curry powder and cumin, fry for 1 minute. Add chickpeas with their liquid and scotch bonnet. Simmer 20 minutes until thick.
3Divide bara dough into small balls. Flatten into thin rounds with oiled hands.
4Fry bara in hot oil for 30 seconds each side — they should be soft and pillowy, not crispy.
5Assemble: place one bara down, spoon channa on top, add tamarind chutney, cucumber chutney, and pepper sauce to taste. Top with second bara.
6Wrap in wax paper and eat immediately. Doubles do not wait. Ask for "slight pepper" if you cannot handle heat, or "plenty pepper" if you can.

Community Reviews (1)

Kris M. ★★★★★

Grew up eating these from a doubles man in San Fernando. This recipe captures it. The bara should be soft and pillowy, never crispy. And slight pepper is the way to go.

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