Trinidadian Doubles (Curried Chickpea Flatbread Sandwiches)
Beautiful, Memorable Food
Test Kitchen-Approved
Photo by Bobbi Lin
- Serves
- 8 sandwiches
- Prep Time
- 1 Hour 45 Minutes
- Cook Time
- 30 Minutes
Doubles are one of the iconic snacks from Trinidad, where my husband is from. In fact, they were invented in 1936 in Princes Town, Trinidad, quite close to my husband's village in the South of Trinidad.
Doubles are basically a snack-sized sandwich made of two flatbreads known as bara and filled with a curried chickpea filling (or channa, as it's known in Trinidad and India). Many of Trinidad's popular dishes are Indian in origin, as is nearly half the population.
Doubles are most commonly eaten at breakfast (and the best vendors will sell out by mid-morning), but they're also sometimes eaten as a late-night snack. They're wrapped in paper and served from carts or stalls, which also often offer other fried treats including aloo (potato) pie, baiganee (eggplant fritter), and saheena (a spinach fritter). Order your doubles in the singular, indicating the amount of pepper sauce you want it with: “Doubles, slight pepper.”
They can be eaten as-is or further customized with condiments, most commonly Trinidadian pepper sauce (made of Scotch bonnet peppers), kuchela (green mango pickles spiced with amchar masala), or a thin tamarind sauce. It's worth seeking out a Caribbean market to get these ingredients and condiments—or, second best, an Indian grocery. In a pinch, Mexican habanero pepper sauce (my husband's favorite is El Yucateco) can be swapped for Trinidadian Scotch bonnet pepper sauce, and Indian mango pickle (not chutney) will give a similar tart-spicy flavor as the kuchela.
My photo was taken of doubles we ate on a recent trip to Trinidad, served as they are normally sold, wrapped in paper.
This recipe is adapted from the Naparima Girls' High School Cookbook, a classic community cookbook from Trinidad. If you want to learn more about Trindadian food, visit my blog: http://spiceboxtravels.com/2013/01/04/feasting-fetes-and-parang-christmas-in-trinidad/
Ingredients
Bara (Flatbread):
- 1/3 cup warm water
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
- 2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon curry powder (ideally Trinidadian) or ground turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Curried Chickpea (Channa) Filling & Assembly:
- 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon canola oil, divided
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon curry powder mixed with ¼ cup water
- 1 (14-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Scotch bonnet or habanero pepper sauce
Featured Video
Trinidadian Doubles (Curried Chickpea Flatbread Sandwiches)
Directions
Bara (Flatbread):
- Step 1
In a small bowl, mix the water, yeast, and sugar. Set aside for about 5 minutes, until foamy.
- Step 2
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the flour, cumin, curry powder, salt, and pepper.
- Step 3
Add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture. Stir to combine, adding more water if needed to form a slightly firm dough. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place rise for 60 to 90 minutes, until doubled in volume.
Curried Chickpea (Channa) Filling & Assembly:
- Step 1
In a large skillet over medium heat, warm 1 tablespoon of the oil until it shimmers. Cook the onion, garlic, and curry powder, stirring, for about 5 minutes, until softened and fragrant.
- Step 2
Add the chickpeas and stir to coat with the spice mixture. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until well combined and heated through.
- Step 3
Add the cumin, salt, pepper, and 1 cup of water and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes, until the chickpeas are very soft. There should still be sauce; if not, reconstitute with water to form a medium-thick sauce. Add the pepper sauce and stir to combine; set aside until ready to assemble.
- Step 4
After the dough has risen, punch down and let rest for 10 minutes. Dampen your hands with water or oil. Pull off tablespoon-sized pieces of dough and roll into 4½-inch rounds; arrange on a baking sheet. Repeat until you have used up all the dough and have an even number of rounds.
- Step 5
In a large deep pan over medium-high heat, warm the remaining 1 cup of oil (it should be about 3 inches deep). Fry the baras for 15 to 30 seconds on each side, until puffed and golden. Drain on paper towels or a wire rack.
- Step 6
Place 1 bara on a plate. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the chickpea filling on top. Top with additional condiments as desired (see my notes above).