Trinidad doubles (bara and channa)
Make this popular Trini street food. The bara is a soft, deep-fried dough made with flour, yeast, turmeric and more. And the channa is a delicious runny chickpea filling with yellow split peas, cumin, culantro and amchar masala flavors. It is tasty Trini food at its best.
Servings: 10 doubles
Ingredients
Bara
- 3 cups flour
- 1 tsp yeast
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp ground chadon beni
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1½ cups warm water
- oil for coating, rolling out the dough and frying
Channa
- 1 cup dried channa (chickpeas)
- ¼ cup dhal (yellow split peas)
- ¾ tsp baking soda (¼ tsp for soaking; ½ tsp for cooking)
- water for soaking
- 3 tsp salt (plus more to taste)
- 10 chadon beni leaves (finely chopped)
- 2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
- 1 tsp pepper (fresh or powdered, adjust to taste)
- ½ tsp cumin or geera powder
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- ¼ tsp amchar masala powder
- 3 cups water
Equipment
- Pressure cooker
Instructions
Bara
- Add flour, yeast, sugar, salt and turmeric to a large bowl. Mix to combine.
- Add ground chadon beni and ¾ cup of warm water. Mix.
- Continue adding a little warm water at a time while kneading to form a soft, smooth dough.
- Coat the dough with oil (about 1 tsp of oil). Cover and rest for 1 hour.
- Oil a baking tray and rub your hands with oil.
- After the hour, divide the dough into 12 equal parts. Roll into small dough balls and place on the prepped tray. Cover and set aside.
- Place a large pot on medium to high heat. Leave to heat up. Add enough oil for deep frying (about 2 cups) and allow to get very hot.
- Coat your flat working surface with a teaspoon of oil. Coat your hands too.
- Place one dough ball on the oiled surface. Press down and out to spread out the dough as thin as possible, making sure the edges are thin and uniform (holes are normal).
- Lift the bara and place in very hot oil.
- Flip over when it floats (about 2 seconds after adding it to the oil). Flip again within 2 seconds.
- Remove from oil. Place on paper napkins in an airtight container or cooler. Cover to trap the heat, which will cause it to soften.
- Repeat for all other dough balls.
Channa
- Check dried chickpeas and yellow split peas. Remove any bad peas. Wash until the water runs clear.
- Add chickpeas to a large bowl filled with water. Mix in 1/4 tsp baking soda. Cover and set aside to plump up (about 8 hours).
- Add split peas to a small bowl filled with water. Cover and set aside.
- Drain water after the soaking time. Rinse repeatedly until the water runs clear.
- Add rinsed channa and dhal to a pressure cooker with 3 cups water, 3 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp baking soda.
- Cover and place on high heat until steam escapes from the top. Add the weight. Reduce heat to low and pressure cook for 15 minutes.
- Remove from heat, depressurize completely and remove the weight and lid.
- Place the opened pressure cooker back on low heat.
- Mix in chopped chadon beni, garlic, pepper, geera or cumin powder, amchar masala and turmeric.
- Cook for 5 more minutes. Taste test and adjust salt, pepper and spices to your taste.
Doubles
- Place two bara on wax paper or a plate with one slightly offset from the other.
- Pour a spoonful of channa over the bara.
- Add your favorite toppings.
- Serve hot.
