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How to Make Doubles from Scratch

Doubles are Trinidad's beloved street food — two pieces of soft bara (fried flatbread) filled with curried chickpeas and chutneys. The bara needs a yeasted dough that rises twice, while the channa (chickpeas) simmer in a fragrant curry base with turmeric and geera. Start the chickpeas soaking the night before, make your bara dough in the morning, and you'll have fresh doubles by afternoon.

Total time: 2 hr 45 min
Hands-on: 45 min
Serves: 8
Difficulty: Medium

Ingredients

2 cups dried chickpeas
pinch baking soda
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 cup warm water
2 tablespoons oil
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon ground geera
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 cup chickpea cooking liquid
1 scotch bonnet pepper
black pepper black pepper

Step by step

Soak the chickpeas overnight. Cover 2 cups dried chickpeas with plenty of water. They'll double in size, so use a large bowl. Add a pinch of baking soda to help soften them.
Make the bara dough. Mix 3 cups flour, 1 teaspoon active dry yeast, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 1 teaspoon turmeric. Add 1 cup warm water gradually while mixing. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. The dough should be soft but not sticky.
First rise. Oil the dough lightly, cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm spot for 2 hours until doubled. Your kitchen counter works fine unless it's very cold.
Prepare the channa base. Drain and rinse the soaked chickpeas. Boil them in fresh water with 1 teaspoon salt until tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. They should mash easily between your fingers but still hold their shape.
Make the curry. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a heavy pot. Add 1 diced onion and cook until golden. Add 3 minced garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon ground geera (cumin), 1 teaspoon turmeric, and 1 teaspoon curry powder. Stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.
Combine chickpeas and curry. Add the cooked chickpeas with 1 cup of their cooking liquid to the curry base. Add salt, black pepper, and a scotch bonnet pepper (whole, for flavor without too much heat). Simmer 15 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.
Shape and rest the bara. Punch down the risen dough and divide into 16 pieces. Roll each into a thin circle, about 6 inches across. Cover with a cloth and let rest 20 minutes for the final rise.
Fry the bara. Heat oil to 350°F in a heavy pot — it should be about 2 inches deep. Fry each bara for 30-45 seconds until it puffs up and turns golden. Flip once. They should be soft, not crispy.
Assemble the doubles. Take one bara, spoon channa into the center, add your choice of chutneys, then top with a second bara. Serve immediately while the bara is still warm.

Tips & troubleshooting

The bara dough should feel like soft bread dough — if it's too stiff, add water a tablespoon at a time
Keep fried bara warm in a clean kitchen towel while you finish frying the batch
Don't skip the turmeric in the bara — it gives the characteristic golden color and subtle flavor
Save some chickpea cooking liquid to thin the curry if it gets too thick
Oil temperature matters — too hot and the bara burns before puffing, too cool and it gets greasy

Variations

Pepper Sauce Doubles. Add a few drops of Caribbean hot sauce made with scotch bonnet peppers and vinegar for authentic heat.
Sweet Chutney Style. Include tamarind chutney and cucumber chutney alongside the traditional pepper sauce for the full street vendor experience.
Slight Doubles. Use only one bara instead of two for a lighter version, popular as a snack rather than a meal.

Questions

Can I use canned chickpeas instead of dried?: Yes, but the texture won't be quite the same. Use 3 cans, drain and rinse them, then simmer directly in the curry base for 10 minutes. Add water or vegetable stock to get the right consistency.
Why didn't my bara puff up when frying?: Usually this means the oil wasn't hot enough, the dough was too thick, or you didn't let it rise properly. The bara should be thin and the dough should be visibly puffy before frying.
How do I know when the channa is the right consistency?: It should be saucy but not watery — thick enough to stay on the bara but not so thick it's paste-like. Think of a hearty soup consistency.
Can I make the components ahead of time?: The channa actually improves overnight in the fridge. The bara is best fresh, but you can make the dough, let it rise, then refrigerate overnight. Bring to room temperature before shaping and frying.