Trinidad Doubles with Curried Chickpeas & Chutneys
Trini Doubles
Street-style Trinidad doubles: soft bara filled with curried chickpeas, tamarind & cucumber chutneys.
Nutrition (per serving)
Doubles are Trinidad & Tobago’s most beloved street snack — two soft fried bara folded around hot curried channa and bright chutneys. It’s the sort of food that makes you smile with the first bite: warm, tangy, spicy and utterly moreish.
This recipe keeps things simple and home-friendly: quick fried bara, an easy curried chickpea filling, plus a sticky tamarind sauce, cooling cucumber chutney, and a punchy pepper sauce. Fry, fill, fold and eat immediately for authentic results.
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour:2 cups
- Instant yeast:1 tsp
- Baking powder:1 tsp
- Sugar:1 tsp
- Salt:1/2 tsp
- Turmeric (optional):1/4 tsp
- Warm water:3/4 cup
- Vegetable oil (for dough + frying):1/4 cup
- Vegetable oil (for frying):2 cups
- Canned chickpeas, drained:2 15 oz cans
- Yellow curry powder:2 tbsp
- Ground cumin:1 tsp
- Onion, finely chopped:1 piece
- Garlic cloves, minced:3 pieces
- Tomato paste:1 tbsp
- Water (to thin curry):1/2 cup
- Salt and black pepper:to taste
- Fresh cilantro, chopped:2 tbsp
- Tamarind paste:2 tbsp
- Brown sugar:1 tbsp
- Cucumber, grated and squeezed:1 piece
- Lime juice:1 tbsp
- Green onion, chopped:2 pieces
- Plain yogurt (optional for chutney):2 tbsp
- Scotch bonnet or habanero (for pepper sauce):1 piece
- White vinegar:2 tbsp
- Sugar (pepper sauce):1/2 tsp
- Lime wedges (to serve):4 pieces
Instructions
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Make the bara dough: whisk flour, yeast, baking powder, sugar, salt and turmeric in a bowl. Stir in 1/4 cup oil and 3/4 cup warm water until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms. Knead briefly (1–2 minutes) and cover to rest 20 minutes.
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While dough rests, make the channa: heat 1 tbsp oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook 4–5 minutes until soft. Stir in garlic, curry powder and cumin and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
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Add drained chickpeas, tomato paste and 1/2 cup water. Simmer 8–10 minutes, lightly smashing some chickpeas with the back of a spoon to thicken. Season with salt and pepper and stir in chopped cilantro. Keep hot.
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Make tamarind sauce: whisk tamarind paste with 2 tbsp water and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Warm gently until sugar dissolves and sauce is glossy; adjust sweetness or tang to taste. Remove from heat.
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Make cucumber chutney: squeeze excess liquid from grated cucumber, then mix with lime juice, green onion, cilantro and yogurt (if using). Season with salt. Chill briefly.
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Make pepper sauce: blend scotch bonnet, vinegar, 1 tbsp water, garlic (use sparingly), sugar and pinch of salt until smooth. Thin with a little water if needed and reserve in a small bowl.
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Shape and fry bara: divide dough into 8 equal pieces and roll each into a 4–5 inch disc, dusting lightly with flour. Heat oil in a deep skillet to 350°F (medium-high). Fry discs one or two at a time until puffed and golden, about 45–60 seconds per side. Drain on paper towels.
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Assemble doubles: place a hot bara on a plate, spoon a generous portion of hot curried chickpeas in the center, drizzle tamarind sauce and spoon cucumber chutney on top, add a little pepper sauce to taste. Fold or press the bara around the filling and eat immediately.
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Serve extra chutneys and lime wedges on the side for guests to customize their doubles.
Tips & Notes
- Resting the dough makes bara soft and easier to puff — don’t skip the 20 minutes.
- If you can’t find scotch bonnet, use habanero or a serrano for the pepper sauce, and adjust to heat preference.
- Keep the channa hot when assembling so the bara soaks up flavor and stays soft — doubles are best eaten right away.
