Caribbean · Trinidad & Tobago
Trinidadian Doubles
Soft, tender bara filled with savory curried chickpeas and finished with bright chutneys—a beloved Trinidadian street-food classic.
8–10doubles30 minprep1 hrrest25 mincook
From Dianne's kitchen
Street food with layers of flavor
Doubles bring together soft fried bara, warmly spiced channa, and the sweet, tart, and peppery toppings that make every bite exciting.
Set out the chutneys and let everyone finish their doubles their own way. That relaxed, hands-on style is part of the pleasure.
What you'll need
Ingredients
For the bara
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon instant yeast
- 1–1¼ cups warm water
- Neutral oil, for shaping and frying
For the channa
- 2 cups cooked chickpeas, or one 15-ounce can, drained
- 2 teaspoons oil
- 4–5 garlic cloves, chopped
- ½ onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- ½ teaspoon roasted ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons chopped culantro or cilantro
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 2 cups water
For serving
- Cucumber chutney
- Tamarind sauce
- Mango chutney or kuchela
- Chopped cilantro or culantro
- Hot pepper sauce
Step by step
Instructions
- Combine the flour, turmeric, sugar, salt, and yeast. Gradually add warm water and knead into a very soft, slightly sticky dough.
- Rub the dough with a little oil, cover, and let it rise for about 1 hour.
- For the channa, sauté the garlic and onion in oil. Stir in curry powder and cumin, then add the chickpeas, herbs, and water.
- Simmer for 15–20 minutes. Lightly mash some chickpeas to make the filling creamy, then season to taste.
- Divide the dough into small balls. With oiled hands, flatten each ball into a thin round.
- Fry each bara in hot oil for about 5–10 seconds per side, just until puffed and cooked. Drain well.
- Layer two bara with a spoonful of channa and your favorite chutneys and pepper sauce.
Dianne's kitchen tip
Soft dough makes tender bara.
The dough should feel softer and stickier than a bread dough. Oil your hands instead of adding too much flour.
For an easy head start, let the covered dough rest overnight in the refrigerator, then bring it toward room temperature before shaping.