Doubles is a "breakfast time" favourite in T&T. Throughout the country, on every busy street, 'Doubles Vendors' do a brisk trade in this delicious mini food item, from as early as 4:30 am in some places. By 10:00 am, they have sold out and returned home.

It is called 'doubles' because it comprises two light mini bakes between which the vendor puts a few spoonfuls of the filling. The meal is not complete without a dash of pepper sauce and a mango chutney.

Generally, it is not an item that is made at home. It is bought on the street and eaten in offices, factories or right there on the roadside.

Ingredients for the bake:

• 2 lbs Flour (with 12 oz Water to knead dough)
• 1/2 oz Baking Powder
• 1/4 lb Split Peas Powder
• 3/4 oz Instant Yeast
• 1 oz Saffron Powder
• 1 tsp Tumeric Powder
• 6 cloves Garlic (peeled)
• Oil for frying
• Salt & Black Pepper to taste

Method:

• Put split peas in bowl with a little water, mix and leave to sit for 5 minutes
• Add baking powder, yeast, saffron, flour, salt to taste and mix well
• Add water and knead to medium dough
• Let it stand for 1/2 an hour
• Pull into small clumps (the dough becomes very sticky), flatten out a bit and fry in hot oil

Ingredients for the filling:

• 1 1/2 lbs Channa (Chick Peas)
• Cooking Oil
• 2 pegs Garlic
• Salt & Black Pepper to taste
• Hot Pepper to taste
• 1 Onion - minced
• Mashed Potato Powder to thicken (optional)
• 1 oz Saffron
• Geera to flavour

Method:

• Soak channa in water overnight
• Next morning boil with garlic
• Put oil to boil. When it starts to boil, put in onion and garlic then add hot pepper, saffron and let everything boil for about 5 minutes
• At this stage, add the channa with a little salt and black pepper and geera to taste

If not thick enough, use mashed potato to thicken

Remember when serving it to have pepper sauce and chutney at hand

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