Simple Doubles Channa Recipe

Want a flavorful chickpea recipe to accompany your homemade bara?

Then try this doubles channa recipe.

It has a really good texture like your local doubles man and great flavors.

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What is in this doubles channa recipe

For this recipe, you will need:

• channa (or chickpeas)
• dhal (or yellow split peas)
• baking soda
• Caribbean green seasoning with chadon beni, Spanish thyme, garlic and pepper
• chadon beni leaves
• geera (or cumin) powder)
• amchar masala powder
• turmeric powder
• salt
• pepper
• water

Here’s a look at most of the ingredients (chadon beni leaves are missing though).

Optional ingredients:

• onion
• garlic
• curry powder

I use dried chickpeas in this recipe. You can use canned chickpeas here to save some time by skipping the presoaking steps. 

The trick to making the best doubles channa recipe is having dhal, fresh chadon beni leaves and the right amount of salt and pepper. 

Feel free to tweak this recipe to your own taste preferences. For me, this channa tastes the same as my doubles man… it’s not heavy on the geera and amchar masala. But, if you like those flavors, tweak to suit and enjoy!

If you’re feeling for curry channa instead, check out this tasty curry channa and aloo recipe.

Oh and take a look at this list of Trini breakfast recipes too.

How to make doubles channa 

To make doubles channa, soak the legumes overnight with baking soda, rinse thoroughly and add to the pressure cooker with more baking soda and salt. After pressure cooking for 15 minutes or so, depressurize and add all the flavorings. Taste test and adjust to your preferences.

Simple!

For this recipe, I am using my good ole faithful Hawkins pressure cooker (get it on Amazon). But you can use an instant pot if you prefer. 

Soak the peas

Step 1: Check the channa and discard any bad peas. Rinse a few times and place in a large bowl filled with water. Do the same for the yellow split peas dhal. Remember the chickpeas will rehydrate and absorb a lot of water to triple in size. So, add enough water!

Step 2: Mix in the baking soda. Cover and set aside for anywhere from six hours to overnight. 

Step 3: After the time when the chickpeas have plumped up nicely, drain the water. Add water again and rinse the peas several times. 

Pressure cook the peas

Step 4: Add the washed channa and dhal to your pressure cooker. Pour in water, baking soda and salt. If you are using the optional ingredients, you can add them at this point.

Step 5: Place on high heat and leave until the pressure builds up and steam starts escaping from the top.

Step 6: Put the pressure cooker weight on and turn the heat down to low. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes. 

Step 7: When done, turn the heat off and leave to depressurize. Or lift the weight slightly to allow the steam to escape (I use a spoon as a lever so I don’t get burned). Once fully depressurized, remove the lid. If the chickpeas are not fully soft, pressure cook the peas again for another five minutes. Then, depressurize again and remove the lid.

Add flavors

Step 8: With the cover off, turn the heat back on to low. 

Step 9: Stir in all the other ingredients like Caribbean green seasoning, chadon beni leaves, geera (cumin) powder, amchar masala powder, turmeric powder and pepper. 

Step 10: Cook for 3 to 5 more minutes. Taste test and adjust your seasonings. That’s all you need to do!

Serve the doubles channa hot with your hot bara and chutneys. 

I did a bara recipe with ground urdi recently – it’s more traditional and the long time way to make bara so check that out below. Oh and enjoy your doubles channa with cucumber chutney, tamarind sauce, and more.

More recipes

Doubles channa recipe

Simple doubles channa recipe

Print Recipe

This doubles channa is tasty and full of fresh Caribbean seasonings. Enjoy it with your hot homemade bara or try it with roti or rice.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine Caribbean

Keyword doubles channa

Prep Time 8 hours hrs

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 8 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Servings 10 doubles

Author We Trini Food

Equipment

• Pressure cooker

Ingredients

• 1 cup channa (chickpeas)
• ⅛ cup dhal (yellow split peas)
• ¾ tsp baking soda
• 2 tbsp Caribbean green seasoning (with chadon beni leaves, garlic, pepper)
• 2 tbsp chadon beni leaves (finely chopped)
• 1½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp geera (cumin) powder
• ½ tsp amchar masala powder
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• pepper to taste
• salt to taste
• 5 cups water plus water for soaking the peas

Instructions

Soaking

• Check the channa and dhal.
• Remove any bad peas.
• Rinse the peas.
• Place in a large bowl filled with water.
• Mix in ¼ teaspoon of baking soda.
• Cover and set aside for a minimum of 6 hours.
• Remove cover and drain.
• Rinse thoroughly at least three times.

Cooking

• Place the pressure cooker on high heat on a small burner.
• Pour in 5 cups of water.
• Add rinsed channa and dhal.
• Mix in ½ teaspoon of baking soda and 1½ teaspoons of salt.
• Cover the pressure cooker and leave to pressurize.
• Add weight to the lid when steam escapes from the top.
• Pressure cook for 12 – 15 minutes.
• Turn off the stove and leave to depressurize.
• Remove the lid once fully depressurized.
• Mix.
• Turn the stove on again to low.
• Stir in Caribbean green seasoning, chadon beni, geera, amchar masala, turmeric and pepper.
• Cook with the cover off for 3 – 5 minutes.
• Taste test and adjust flavors.
• Remove from the heat.
• Serve hot over hot, homemade bara.

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