Trinidadian Doubles (Doubles) — Curried Chickpeas in Soft Fried Bara

• 300 gdried chickpeas (soaked overnight in 1.5 l water)
• 1.5 lwater (for boiling chickpeas)
• 1 tspbaking soda
• 30 mlvegetable oil
• 1yellow onion (finely chopped)
• 4 clovegarlic (minced)
• 1Scotch bonnet pepper (left whole for mild heat, or minced for hotter channa)
• 18 gCaribbean curry powder
• 1 tspground turmeric
• 2 tspground roasted cumin
• 2 tspfine sea salt
• 3 sprigfresh thyme
• 8culantro leaves (finely chopped; also called chadon beni)
• 500 gall-purpose flour
• 7 ginstant yeast
• 5 gbaking powder
• 12 ggranulated sugar
• 330 mlwarm water (about 38°C)
• 60 mltamarind concentrate
• 30 gbrown sugar
• 1cucumber (peeled, seeded, and grated)
• 30 mllime juice
• 30 mlScotch bonnet pepper sauce

Instructions

1. 1

   Drain the soaked chickpeas and rinse them well under cool running water. Put them in a large pot with 1.5 l fresh water and the baking soda, then simmer for 60 to 75 minutes until the chickpeas are very tender but not completely collapsed.

2. 2

   While the chickpeas cook, make the bara dough. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, yeast, baking powder, sugar, turmeric, and salt, then add the warm water and 15 ml oil and mix until a soft sticky dough forms.

3. 3

   Knead the dough in the bowl or on a lightly oiled work surface for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm place for 60 minutes, until puffy and roughly doubled.

4. 4

   Heat 30 ml oil in a wide pot over medium heat and cook the onion for 6 minutes until softened. Add the garlic, whole or minced Scotch bonnet, curry powder, turmeric, cumin, salt, thyme, and culantro, then stir for 60 seconds to bloom the spices without scorching them.

5. 5

   Add the cooked chickpeas and 500 ml of their cooking liquid to the spiced onion mixture. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, crushing about one quarter of the chickpeas against the side of the pot so the channa becomes saucy and thick enough to spoon into bara.

6. 6

   Make the tamarind sauce by whisking the tamarind concentrate, warm water, brown sugar, cumin, and salt until smooth. Make the cucumber chutney by stirring the grated cucumber with lime juice, culantro, grated garlic, and salt, then refrigerate both sauces until serving.

7. 7

   Divide the risen dough into 16 equal balls of about 53 g each and place them on an oiled tray. Rub your hands with oil and flatten each ball into a thin round about 12 cm wide, keeping the center slightly thicker than the edges so it fries soft rather than crisp.

8. 8

   Heat 1.5 l vegetable oil in a deep pot to 180°C. Fry the bara one or two at a time for 20 to 30 seconds per side, just until puffed, flexible, and golden yellow, then drain on a rack or paper towels.

9. 9

   Assemble each doubles while the bara are still warm. Place two bara overlapping on a plate, spoon about 110 g channa over the center, and finish with tamarind sauce, cucumber chutney, and 4 ml Scotch bonnet pepper sauce per serving.