OK... who say Doubles

Basically doubles is a sandwich made with two small fried bakes , called “bara” filled with curried channa (chick peas), topped with mango, cucumber, coconut, tamarind and extra pepper sauce. When ordering doubles, those who like the taste – and heat – of pepper will request “heavy pepper” as opposed who would prefer “slight” pepper.

According to doubles expert Devanand Singh this delicacy is undoubtedly the most popular fast food in the country. At one time doubles were commonly eaten for breakfast, but now that has changed as people enjoy them for lunch, dinner or during or after late night fetes for Carnival. Doubles vendors can be seen plying their trade at any hour of the day or night.

For those who would want to get into this business making doubles can be quite a task. “Preparation is necessary. Vendors do all the ground work way in advance of the actual cooking of the delicacy,” Singh said. However, he noted that making a small number of doubles can be quite, easy and equally tasty.

The bara is made of flour, baking powder, salt, and ground saffron, which gives the bara its yellow color. It is flattened to a thin round disk about four or five inches in diameter and fried until golden brown.

History has it that the origins of this food in this country began with the Deen family – Emamoul Deen and his wife Rasulan in 1936 in Fairfield Princes Town. The name “doubles” originated in 1937. When Mamudeen started the business the products he sold were fried channa and soon he added curried channa with chutney. He then introduced a single bara with the curried channa. His customers would ask him to “double-up” on the bara hence the name “doubles” evolved and Deen's doubles became the pioneering brand.

Mamudeen’s two brothers-in-law, Asgar Ali and Choate Ali were later invited to help in the Deen's operation in 1937 when the need to expand the business became obvious.

The Ali brothers launched their own Ali's doubles brand in 1938. Asgar Ali chose San Fernando for his sales district and Naparima College in particular as his historical starting point. Choate remained in Princes Town while Mamudeen expanded to San Juan and Port-of-Spain.

One of Mamudeen's son, Shamaloo Deen later sold Deen's doubles in his restaurant “Deen's Diner” on Marion Street, St Boniface, Winnipeg, Manitoba on the Canadian Prairies.

It’s customary to see vendors selling doubles out of a box. Mamudeen, the pioneer of doubles was the first to build a wooden box, painted yellow, to fit his freight bicycle from which he sold Deen's doubles. Cars and vans replaced the bicycles while the box remained to preserve the original sales image for doubles. Many vendors fry their baras on the spot. Vendors also sell from a makeshift kitchen in the back of a pickup truck.

When considering the nutritional value of doubles, remember that chickpeas are a good source of zinc, folate and protein. They are also very high in dietary fiber and hence a healthy source of carbohydrates for persons with insulin sensitivity or diabetes. Chickpeas are low in fat and most of this is polyunsaturated. Chickpeas also provide dietary phosphorus, with some sources citing the garbanzo's content as about the same as yogurt and close to milk

Singh, revealed the secret to replicating the street version of doubles in a threefold. First, the channa is not heavily curried; in fact, it is seasoned and boiled in much the same way dhal is made. “Second, most of the flavor and spice in a doubles comes from the sauces and chutneys that are added. And third, the bara is made with a simple dough, nothing fancy,” Singh said.

Here’s Singh’s way of making doubles:

Ingredients

4 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons saffron powder

1 teaspoon ground geera (cumin, preferable roasted)

3 teaspoons yeast

? teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)

Canola oil for frying

Method

Put one cup of lukewarm water in a small bowl, add sugar and sprinkle with yeast. Then leave mixture until it swells to twice its size Combine flour, salt, saffron and geera in a large bowl. Add yeast to flour mixture along with 1? cups of water and mix into slightly firm dough. Mix well but try to handle dough as little as possible, cover and let it rise to double its size, then form dough into 36 small balls and then let rise for another ten to 15 minutes. Take a ball of the bara dough and pat into a flattened 4-inch circle with both hands. If the dough sticks to your hands dampen hands with water. Fry immediately after shaping in hot oil, turning once. Drain on paper towels and allow to cool to room temperature.

Channa recipe

Ingredients

1 lb channa

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 tablespoon ground geera (cumin, preferably roasted)

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 small onion

4 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons chive

? teaspoon -turmeric powder

? teaspoon each salt and black pepper (adjust to taste)

Method

Dice onion, garlic and chive, keeping each separate. Put oil in a pot along with finely chopped onion and saute on medium heat until onion begins to caramelise. Add all remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly. Add enough water to cover channa by about 1? inches, and then boil channa until it's very soft. Depending on the type of pot you use, and how often you remove the lid to stir, you may need to add water during this process. When you are finished cooking there must be some liquid left in pot, so don't let it dry out.

Doubles venders don't use tinned channa. We use it to reduce preparation and cooking time, but if you use tinned channa it must be thoroughly washed. 1? cups (8ozs) dry channa can be substituted but it must be presoaked for 24 hours, changing the water at least twice during that period, and then pressure-cooked for about 1 hour.

Cucumber Chutney Recipe

Ingredients

1 large cucumber

1 tablespoon shadow beni (cilantro)

1 tablespoon chives

1 pepper

4 cloves garlic

2 teaspoon fresh lime juice

? teaspoon each salt and black pepper (adjust to taste)

? teaspoon brown sugar

Cucumber seed and skin can be removed if you choose or leave about a quarter of skin to add colour to chutney. Grate remainder of cucumber and add to mixture, which adds moisture to chutney. Finely dice garlic, cilantro and chives and add to mix.

Finely dice pepper without touching it if possible – you don't want to inadvertently get this pepper in, or near, your eye. Gradually add the diced pepper to mix until it is spicy enough for your taste. Optionally, you may leave out some, or all, of the pepper, and use a tasty Caribbean pepper sauce to add the level of spice you desire when preparing individual doubles.