Doubles
A beloved Trinidadian street food of soft fried bara bread filled with curried chickpeas, topped with chutneys and pepper sauce. Plan ahead: the bara dough needs 30 minutes to rest.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp instant yeast
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup warm water (for dough)
- 4 cups vegetable oil (for frying)
- 2 cans canned chickpeas, drained, rinsed
- 1 yellow onion, finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp curry powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tbsp culantro or cilantro (shadow beni), finely chopped
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil (for curry)
- 1/2 tsp salt (for curry)
- 4 tbsp tamarind sauce or concentrate
- to taste hot pepper sauce
Instructions
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1
Make the bara dough: in a bowl mix 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 tsp instant yeast, 1/2 tsp ground turmeric, and 1/2 tsp salt. Add 3/4 cup warm water (for dough) and mix until a soft dough forms. Cover and rest 30 minutes.
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2
Make the channa curry: heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil (for curry) in a saucepan over medium heat. Saute 1 finely diced yellow onion for 3 minutes, add 4 cloves minced garlic cloves and cook 1 minute. Add 2 tbsp curry powder and 1 tsp ground cumin, stir 30 seconds.
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3
Add 2 cans drained, rinsed canned chickpeas and enough water to just cover. Season with 1/2 tsp salt (for curry). Simmer 15 minutes until sauce thickens slightly. Stir in 2 tbsp finely chopped culantro or cilantro (shadow beni) and remove from heat.
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4
Divide the rested dough into small balls (about 12 for the standard batch). On a lightly oiled surface, flatten each ball into a thin 4-inch round.
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5
Heat 4 cups vegetable oil (for frying) in a deep skillet to 350F. Fry the bara in batches, 30-45 seconds per side, until puffed and lightly golden. Drain on paper towels.
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6
To assemble: lay two bara on a plate, spoon curried chickpeas over one bara, drizzle with 4 tbsp tamarind sauce or concentrate and hot pepper sauce to taste. Fold or top with the second bara.