The
double comes from Trinidad and Tobago and consists of two pieces of fried bread
(“bara”), enclosing a curried garbanzo bean (chickpea) filling. It is
accessorized with a tamarind- or coconut-based chutney and a dollop of hot
chili sauce. Originally served with a single bara, customers so frequently
requested two, that the meal evolved into a “double.”
Makes 12; serves 6
INGREDIENTS
FOR
THE BARA:
1 tsp active dry yeast
Scant 1/3
cup (80ml) warm water
A pinch of superfine (caster) sugar
Generous 2 cups (270g) all-purpose
(plain) flour
½ tsp sea salt
1 tsp curry powder
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
FOR
THE CURRIED GARBANZO BEANS (CHICKPEAS) OR “CURRIED CHANA”:
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 small onion,
sliced
2 garlic cloves,
crushed
1 tsp curry
powder
½ tsp ground turmeric
14oz (400g) can garbanzo beans
(chickpeas)
2 potatoes,
diced
1 fresh Scotch bonnet chili, left whole
but pierced
Sea salt, to taste
A good handful of chopped fresh cilantro
(coriander)
Tamarind chutney and Tabasco or hot
chili sauce, to serve
To make the bara, mix the yeast with the warm
water and sugar in a jug and set aside until the yeast is activated. In a
mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, and curry powder, then add the activated
yeast mixture and mix to form a soft dough. Knead the dough for about 10
minutes (this is much easier in an electric mixer with a dough hook
attachment). Place the dough in a clean oiled bowl, cover with a clean dish
towel, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size.
Meanwhile, to make the curried garbanzo beans
(chickpeas), toast the cumin seeds in a dry frying pan over a low-medium heat
until fragrant, moving them around the pan so they don’t burn. Grind the
toasted seeds to a powder with a pestle and mortar or spice grinder. Set aside.
Heat the vegetable oil in the frying pan and soften the onion in the oil. Add
the garlic and cook for a minute more, stirring, then add the ground spices and
continue to cook for 30 seconds, stirring all the time until the mixture is
quite dry.
Add the garbanzo beans, potatoes, and chili,
plus enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer,
uncovered, for about 25 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked and the sauce is
thick. Mash the mixture here and there to thicken even further, leaving plenty
of pieces (and the chili) intact. Taste, then season with salt. Remove and
discard the whole chili, then stir in the cilantro (coriander). Keep warm.
In
the meantime, gently punch down (knock back) the risen bara dough, then divide
the dough into 12 pieces and form each one into a thin, flat round shape, about
5in (13cm) in diameter. They should be quite thin.
Pour some vegetable oil for deep-frying into a
deep frying pan or an electric deep-fat fryer and heat to 350°F (180°C).
Deep-fry the bara in batches (cooking 2 at a time) for about 5 minutes, turning
occasionally, until golden all over. Drain on paper towels. The cooked bara can
be kept warm in a low oven while you cook the remainder.
To
assemble each sandwich, take a bara and pile it with curried chana, add some
tamarind chutney and Tabasco or hot chili sauce, and serve immediately while
hot.
