Doubles (food)

Last updated

Doubles
FOOD Doubles 2.jpg
Doubles
Place of origin Trinidad and Tobago
Region or state Caribbean, United States, Canada, United Kingdom
Created byEmamool and Raheman Rasulan Deen
Serving temperatureHot
Main ingredients Curry chickpea and bara
Other informationServed with: various chutneys, kuchela, and pepper sauce

Doubles is a common street food originating in Trinidad and Tobago with Indian origin. It is normally eaten during breakfast, but is also eaten occasionally during lunch or as a late night snack and popular hangover food for local Trinidadians. [1] Doubles is made with two baras (flat fried dough) and filled with curry channa (curried chickpeas) and various chutneys. [2] [3] [4]

Contents

Origins

Doubles as a dish was created in Princes Town by Emamool Deen (a.k.a. Mamoodeen) and his wife Raheman Rasulan Deen in 1936. [3] [5]

It has been speculated that it was inspired by a northern Indian dish called chole bhature (or sometimes channa bhatura). [3] [6] Chole bhature is made by combining channa masala and bhature (poori), which is a fried bread made with maida flour, a common flour in Indian baking. [3]

Mamoodeen used to sell curried channa (chickpeas) over single baras (fried flatbread) with chutneys to the Indian sugar estate workers in the early 20th century. When his customers began requesting to double the bara in their orders the name “doubles” was coined. [1]

Preparation

Doubles can be served spicy, sweet, or savory. Condiments include spicy pepper sauce, kuchela, or green mango, bandhaniya, cucumber, coconut, pommecythere, tamarind chutney, and chadon beni sauce. [4] [7]

Cultural significance

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. [4] Doubles is a comfort food for displaced Trinidadians in major cities across the globe. [4] 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. [4]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roti</span> South Asian flatbread

Roti is a round flatbread native to the Indian subcontinent. It is commonly consumed in many South Asian, Southeast Asian, Caribbean, and Southeast African countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pakistani cuisine</span> Culinary traditions of Pakistan

Pakistani cuisine can be characterized as a blend of regional cooking styles and flavours from across South, Central and Western Asia. Pakistani cuisine is influenced by Persian, Indian, and Arab cuisine. The cuisine of Pakistan also maintains certain Mughal influences within its recipes and cooking techniques. Pakistan's ethnic and cultural diversity, diverse climates, geographical environments, and availability of different produce lead to diverse regional cuisines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samosa</span> Fried or baked pastry with a savoury filling

A samosa is a fried South Asian pastry with a savoury filling, including ingredients such as spiced potatoes, onions, peas, meat, or fish. It is made into different shapes, including triangular, cone, or crescent, depending on the region. Samosas are often accompanied by chutney, and have origins in medieval times or earlier. Sweet versions are also made. Samosas are a popular entrée, appetizer, or snack in the cuisines of South Asia, the Middle East, Central Asia, East Africa and their South Asian diasporas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trinidad and Tobago cuisine</span> Culinary traditions of Trinidad and Tobago

Trinidad and Tobago has a unique history and its food is influenced by Indian-South Asian, West African, Creole, European, American, Chinese, Amerindian, and Latin American culinary styles. Trinidadian and Tobagonian food is dominated by a wide selection of dishes, most notably, doubles, roti, pelau, callaloo and curried crab and dumplings. Trinidad and Tobago is also known for its prepared provisions, such as dasheen, sweet potato, eddoes, cassava, yam, soups and stews, also known as blue food across the country. Corresponding to the Blue Food Day event held annually in Trinidad and Tobago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fritter</span> Fried pastry usually consisting of a portion of batter with a filling

A fritter is a portion of meat, seafood, fruit, vegetables, or other ingredients which have been battered or breaded, or just a portion of dough without further ingredients, that is deep-fried. Fritters are prepared in both sweet and savory varieties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indo-Trinidadian and Tobagonian</span> Ethnic group

Indo-Trinidadians and Tobagonians or Indian-Trinidadians and Tobagonians are people of Indian origin who are nationals of Trinidad and Tobago, whose ancestors came from India and the wider subcontinent beginning in 1845 during the period of colonization.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bhatura</span> Deep-fried leavened bread from the Indian Subcontinent

Bhatoora is a fluffy deep-fried leavened sourdough bread originating from the Indian subcontinent. It is commonly served as a midday meal or a breakfast dish in northern and eastern India. Paired with chickpea curry, it forms a traditional dish called chole bhature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chaat</span> Savory Indian-originated snack

Chaat, or chāt is a family of savoury snacks that originated in India, typically served as an hors d'oeuvre or at roadside tracks from stalls or food carts across South Asia in India, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh. With its origins in Uttar Pradesh, India, chaat has become immensely popular in the rest of South Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aloo pie</span> Trinidadian fast food dish

An aloo pie is a Caribbean fast food dish originating from and common in Trinidad and Tobago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Puri (food)</span> Food

Puri, also poori, is a type of deep-fried bread, made from unleavened whole-wheat flour, originated from the Indian subcontinent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gujarati cuisine</span> Cuisine of Gujarat, India

Gujarati cuisine is the cuisine of the Indian state of Gujarat. The typical Gujarati thali consists of rotli, dal or curry, rice, and shaak. The thali will also include preparations made from pulses or whole beans such as moong, black eyed beans etc., a snack item (farsaan) like dhokla, pathra, samosa, fafda, etc. and a sweet (mishthaan) like mohanthal, jalebi, sevaiya etc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kachori</span> Indian spicy food item

Kachori is a sweet and spicy deep-fried snack, originating in India, and common in places with Indian diaspora and other South Asian diaspora. Alternative names for the snack include kachauri, kochuri, kachodi and katchuri.

Bhojpuri cuisine is a style of food preparation common among the Bhojpuri people of Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh in India, and also the Terai region of Nepal. Bhojpuri foods are mostly mild and tend to be less hot in terms of spices used. The cuisine consists of both vegetable and meat dishes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chole bhature</span> Indian dish from Delhi

Chole bhature is a food dish popular in the northern areas of the Indian subcontinent. It is a combination of chana masala and bhatura/puri, a deep-fried bread made from maida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andhra cuisine</span> Cuisine of South India native to the Telugu people from the state of Andhra Pradesh, India

Andhra cuisine, culturally known as Telugu cuisine, is a cuisine of India native to the state of Andhra Pradesh and is the culinary style of Telugu people. It is generally known for its tangy, hot, and spicy taste.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malaysian Indian cuisine</span> Cuisine of ethnic Indian communities of Malaysia

Malaysian Indian cuisine, or the cooking of the ethnic Indian communities in Malaysia, consists of adaptations of authentic dishes from India, as well as original creations inspired by the diverse food culture of Malaysia. Because the vast majority of Malaysia's Indian community are of South Indian descent, and are mostly ethnic Tamils who are descendants of immigrants from a historical region which consists of the modern Indian state of Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka's Northern Province, much of Malaysian Indian cuisine is predominantly South Indian inspired in character and taste. A typical Malaysian Indian dish is likely to be redolent with curry leaves, whole and powdered spice, and contains fresh coconut in various forms. Ghee is still widely used for cooking, although vegetable oils and refined palm oils are now commonplace in home kitchens. Before a meal it is customary to wash hands as cutlery is often not used while eating, with the exception of a serving spoon for each respective dish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vada (food)</span> Category of savoury fried snacks from India

Vada, vadai, wada, or bara is a category of savoury fried snacks native to India. Vadas can be described variously as fritters, cutlets, or dumplings. Vadas are sometimes stuffed with vegetables and traditionally served with chutneys and sambar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maithil cuisine</span>

Maithil cuisine, also known as Mithila cuisine, is a part of Indian and Nepalese cuisine. It is the traditional cooking style of Maithils residing in the Mithila region of the subcontinent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indian Indonesian cuisine</span> Cuisine of the people of Indian-Indonesians

Indian Indonesian cuisine is characterized by the mixture of Indian cuisine with local Indonesian-style. This cuisine consists of adaptations of authentic dishes from India, as well as original creations inspired by the diverse food culture of Indonesia. Indian influence can be observed in Indonesia as early as the 4th century. Following the spread of Islam to Indonesia and trading, Muslim Indian as well as Arab influences made their way into Indonesian cuisine. Examples include Indian biryani, murtabak, curry and paratha that influenced Acehnese, Minangkabau, Malay, Palembangese, Betawi and Javanese cuisine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saheena</span> Trinidadian snack

Saheena are a street-food and snack of Indian origin in Trinidadian cuisine.

References

  1. 1 2 Trinidadian Doubles are the Best Cheap Eats in Brooklyn — Dining on a Dime. Eater. 22 December 2015. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 9 November 2019 via Youtube.
  2. Mohan, Neki (28 June 2015). "Street food of Trinidad, Tobago gains popularity worldwide". WPLG. Retrieved 9 February 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Deen, Badru (2013). Out of the Doubles Kitchen: A Memoir of the First Family of Doubles. Palmetto Bay, Florida: Caritrade. p. 2. ISBN   978-0615855363.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Plaza, Dwaine (9 July 2014). "Roti and Doubles as Comfort Foods for the Trinidadian Diaspora in Canada, the United States, and Britain". Social Research: An International Quarterly. 81 (2): 463–488. doi:10.1353/sor.2014.0021. ISSN   1944-768X. S2CID   142287294.
  5. Mohan, Neki (28 June 2015). "Street food of Trinidad, Tobago gains popularity in South Florida". WPLG.
  6. Ganeshram, Ramin (28 February 2022). "Trinidad's addictive spicy street snack". BBC Travel. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  7. Ottier Hart, Rachael (11 April 2024). "How to make Trinidad Doubles". Classic Bakes. Retrieved 11 April 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)