 Doubles | |
| Place of origin | Trinidad and Tobago |
|---|---|
| Region or state | Caribbean,United States,Canada,United Kingdom |
| Created by | Emamool Deen |
| Serving temperature | Hot |
| Main ingredients | Currychickpea andbara |
| Other information | Served with: variouschutneys,kuchela, andpepper sauce |
Doubles is a commonstreet food originating inTrinidad and Tobago and is ofIndo-Trinidadian origin. It consists ofcurriedchickpeas served on two friedflatbreads. It is normally eaten during breakfast, but is also eaten occasionally during lunch or as a late-night snack and popularhangover food.
Doubles as a dish was created inPrinces Town by Emamool "Mamoodeen" Deen and his wife Raheman Rasulan Deen in 1936.[1] Deen used to sell curried chickpeas over single fried flatbread with chutneys. When his customers began requesting to double the bara in their orders the name “doubles” was coined.[2]
It has been speculated that it was inspired by a northern Indian dish calledchole bhature (or sometimeschanna bhatura).[3]Chole bhature is made by combiningchanna masala andbhature (poori), which is a fried bread made with all-purpose' flour, also known as "maida" in Hindi.
As a base for the curry, onions, garlic and curry powder or plain turmeric powder are fried briefly.[4] Boiled and drained chickpeas are added together with some water and spices, primarilycumin. The curry is cooked until the chickpeas are tender. A dough is prepared, shaped into flattened circles and briefly deep fried. Doubles can be served spicy, sweet, or savory. Condiments include spicy pepper sauce,kuchela, or green mango,culantro,cucumber,coconut, andtamarind chutneys.[5]
Given the diversity of Trinidad, doubles is credited with its ability to "define and maintain symbolic boundaries of identification", and is considered an authentic standard of Trinidadian cuisine.[5] Doubles is a comfort food for displaced Trinidadians in major cities across the globe.[5] Its consumption has been credited with developing a "deep psychological imprinting" among them, and as such is considered culturally significant for how it encapsulated Trinidadian identity into a simple and unique snack.[5]
Trinidadian-Canadian filmmakerIan Harnarine has released two films, the 2011 short filmDoubles with Slight Pepper[6] and the 2023 feature expansionDoubles,[7] which centre in part on the significance of doubles as a signifier of Trinidadian culture among Trinidadian expatriates.[8]
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