curry , STOP! You have found the best Trinidad Doubles Recipe!
As I get ready to end this year strong and set goals for the new year, I thought that I should post just one more recipe on the blog! Even though this recipe was posted on You Tube on April 8, 2017, it never got a home here… until now! I am always a bit late, but better late than never, right?
This year I had many successes at work and in my personal life. My elder daughter turned 16 and I fulfilled my promise to take her to Paris and throw her a birthday party! In two weeks I planned and organized a get together with about fifty family and friends, transforming my backyard into an impressive party atmosphere that left my guests stunned–thanks to the power of the internet. Had I planned it for years like some folks do, I could not have done a better job!
Work travel to far and near, including London and, more recently, LA was rewarding and exciting, and I am already planning my trips for the new year. I always aim to do less traveling, but it never happens! This means less time to blog here!
This year I posted 20 videos on YouTube, which was the exact number I had on my to-do list. This was quite the accomplishment for me considering that it takes about 40 hours to complete one video and then there is real life—my work, commute, and home/family schedule! I hope to do more in 2019 despite it all. This (blogging and creating) is my meditation. I get so immersed that I forget about all the chaos in life.
You may have noticed that I updated this blog a little and more progress will be made. I plan to make this a convenient and user-friendly space where you will find some, if not many, of your favorite recipes! Some of the older recipes are getting a make-over and I plan to post more new ones every month! So stay tuned! Please also feel free to write with any suggestions, recipe or video requests. I would love to hear from you.
Now onto the real reason for this blog post….
WHAT IS DOUBLES?
If you are here because you have Googled “What is doubles“? This is the post for you! By the time you are done reading this you will yearn for this snack, but rest assured, the recipe and video for Trinidad Doubles are included below to help you make this successfully at home!
DOUBLES CONDIMENTS:
Doubles (bara and channa) is a vessel for the mouth-watering condiments and Caribbean flavors. Condiments range from a choice of (Top left to right) boiled mango chutney, cucumber chutney (grated cucumber), Bottom Left to right: Bandhania Chutney, pepper sauce, roasted pepper sauce. Not shown, tamarind chutney, kuchela, coconut chutney.
Bandhania Chutney is basically, blended bandhania with garlic, hot pepper, and salt.
Cucumber chutney: To make cucumber chutney, grate cucumber with skin on and season with salt, ground bandhania, pepper, and garlic.
Pepper Sauce is a blend of hot habanero, scotch bonnet or cherry pepper with bandhania, garlic, sometimes mustard, and salt. The roasted version is just that, the peppers are roasted before being blended with the other ingredients.
Kuchela is a pickled mango with amchar massala. Recipe coming soon!
Coconut chutney is a roasted dried coconut (and charred bits scraped off), grated and seasoned with the same basics, bandhania, garlic, hot pepper, and salt.
I have heard rumors of triples—the use of three baras. The fillings too have become creative with variations including curry chicken, curry shrimp or curry goat. I have never tried or seen these so I can’t attest to their actual existence.
WHO INVENTED DOUBLES?
WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE DOUBLES VENDOR?
It really helps that doubles vendors are not scarce either. Each person in Trinidad will passionately voice who in their opinion makes the best doubles. “That guy by the Chaguanas market,” or “the other guy across from the gas station” or “de man in Tong” or “them people in Tunapuna”. “from the guy dong the road” etc..!
WHAT MAKES A GOOD DOUBLES?
I would say the texture and thickness of the bara. It must have a certain chew to it and the right color, which comes from the addition of turmeric. The chickpeas must be tender and flavorful, not too dry. The condiments should leave you yearning for another doubles or four. I asked my sister what she thinks makes a good doubles, and she says, “it melts in your mouth not in your hand like M and M’s”. Alrighty then?
HOW MANY DOUBLES CAN YOU EAT IN ONE SITTING?
One doubles is filling and satisfying but one evening after school, I vividly recollect eating ten doubles. That is not a typo. To justify that avarice, I have since convinced myself that they were probably very small doubles. That doubles was by far the best and most memorable doubles I’ve ever had. One year I returned to Trinidad to search for that doubles man, who by the way was situated in Couva market, just down the street from Holy Faith Convent where I attended, only to learn that he no longer sells doubles. That was one of the saddest, most forlorn moments of my existence.
HOW DID I DEVELOP THIS RECIPE?
I have begged folks to put me in touch with their favorite doubles vendor so that I can extract their recipe from them, but the opportunity never came. I’ve thought about it a lot, dreamt about it and one day I walked into my kitchen determined to develop the best doubles recipe. There is no reason why I can’t create a recipe, this is not rocket science, I am smart enough to do it. Equipped with all the positive thoughts I can muster I created the first sample. The texture was there, but the color and taste hinted that I added too much turmeric. I took a nap and returned to the kitchen for a repeat performance. My husband, after tasting it, raised his eyebrows and smiled. He is a man of few words.
HOW TO MAKE DOUBLES CHANNA?
The making of the channa proved to be more challenging than the bara. The chickpeas if you really examine it, does not have a lot of color and taste on its own, it is enhanced by the bara and flavorful condiments. I tested it one weekend and then another time one night after work. I realized that it required a lot of boiling to have that tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture that makes a great chickpea filling. I found that baking soda does the trick!
Some claim that the chickpeas are simply boiled with the herbs and turmeric and others suggest that chunkaying is the best way to go. Chunkaying is the process of first cooking the spices in the oil to bring out the flavor, then add the chickpeas and other seasonings. I’ve tried it both ways and I find this method (boiling) is more authentic/similar to the doubles we usually buy.
I don’t know if this recipe will allow you to start your own doubles business, but I do know that if there isn’t a doubles vendor in your part of the world or town, this recipe will bring a taste of home/Trinidad to you.
Update: I have received many messages that people have actually started using this recipe to start a doubles business!
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TRINIDAD DOUBLES
Ingredients
Doubles Bara
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder preferably aluminum free
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon instant yeast
- Pinch turmeric 1/4 tsp
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 cup lukewarm water lukewarm, MINUS about 3 tbs
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil for rubbing on dough
- 2 cups vegetable oil for frying
Doubles Channa Recipe
- 1/2 lb dried chickpeas channa
- 1 teaspoon baking soda divided
- 1 tablespoon minced culantro bandhania
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced (3 cloves)
- 1/8 teaspoon turmeric or up to 1 tsp depending on the brand
- 1 1/2 tsp bandhania finely chopped or minced--about 3 leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon amchar massala or ground roasted cumin, or a combo
- 1-2 teaspoons Himalayan Salt Add to taste
Cucumber Chutney
- 1 cucumber grated
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- hot pepper, minced, to taste
- 1 tsp bandhania minced
- salt to taste
Bandhania Chutney
- 1 bunch bandhania (shado beni or culantro)
- 2 cloves garlic
- hot pepper to taste
- salt to taste
Instructions
Bara Instructions
- In a medium bowl, add flour, baking powder, salt, yeast, turmeric and sugar.
- Add lukewarm water gradually and mix to form a very soft, slightlysticky dough. Do not over knead.
- Rub the dough with oil, cover and set aside to rest 1 hour (minimum) or until doubled(max 6 hrs or overnight). The longer it rests, the softer the bara--6 hours is perfect, but if you are in a hurry, 1 hr can work.
- Divide the dough into 16 balls. Cover and allow it to raise another hour or until doubled.
- Rub oil on a flat surface or plate. Place the dough on the oiled surface and flatten to a 6 inch round(oil hands as well) or almost transparent!! Make to your desired thickness and width--keeping in mind it puffs up as it cooks
- Meanwhile heat oil in a small pot over medium-high heat. When the oil is very hot, gently place dough in hot oil and fry on each side until cooked and golden brown--takes seconds if the oil is hot enough. Drain on the side of the pot, using the spoon.
- Place the fried dough (bara) in paper towel or clean kitchen towel, stacking them on each other as they are done frying. This will allow them to flatten, steam and give them the soft, chewy texture we all love--just like the doubles man's! Repeat with the remaining dough. Serve hot with Doubles channa(recipe below).
Channa Instructions
- Soak chickpeas overnight with 1/2 teaspoon baking soda. Drain and rinse with several changes of water. Drain again.
- In a pot, add about 6 cups of water and place over medium heat. Add channa, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda and stir to combine. Bring to a boil and scoop out any impurities that rise to the top. Adding more baking soda than this will give it a weird metallic--bakign powder taste.
- When chickpeas are tender, about 1 hour, add minced bandhania, minced garlic and turmeric and mix well. You can also add minced hot pepper.
- Continue to cook for 15-20 minutes or longer if required. During this time, with a wooden spoon, stir, moving back and forth motion to bring it to the right consistency. This will take several minutes for the channa to thicken, so be patient. Doubles will be ready soon!
- Taste for salt and add more if required. To finish, mix in bandhania, amchar massala or ground roasted cumin or a combination. Enjoy with the baras! Can be made ahead--a day before. Can be easily doubled.
Chutney
- To make the cucumber chutney, mix all ingredients to combine. Taste and add salt and black pepper if required.
- To make the bandhania chutney, place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse to combine. Add salt to your preference. You will need to add water if making it in a blender--just enough to combine,
Video
Notes
Nutrition
PRESS PLAY FOR BOILED MANGO CHUTNEY VIDEO TUTORIAL
YOU MAY ALSO LOVE THIS RECIPE – RAW MANGO CHUTNEY RECIPE INCLUDED:
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Enjoy and Happy Cooking,
Ria
Loved the recipe for the bara & Channa & Aloo. Turned out perfect. We’re basically Trini now! 🤣❤️🇹🇹
I have never heard of baking soda in any doubles recipe . I tried your recipe and the bara turned red in the pot. It’s the carbon dioxide that is reacting to the turmeric. This was a horrible recipe. Honestly. I tried your other recipe also with just the turmeric and baking soda same reaction. You can’t have yeast, baking powder and baking soda .
My bara recipe does not have baking soda. Please check again. Also, I only have one recipe for doubles. You are mistaking me for someone else. Please review and update the one star. Thanks.
Terry, her bara only calls for baking powder. Nowhere does she say to add baking soda to the bara. My bara came out perfect I have used this recipe several times and my trini husband couldn’t be happier. Thank you Ria!