Gluten Free Doubles

This gluten free doubles recipe brings together all the things we love about doubles on a delicious gluten free base. It is perfect for friends with celiac or gluten sensitivities (like me), who still want to enjoy the deliciousness of Trinidadian doubles.

What is Trinidadian Doubles

Inspired by the North Indian dish Chole Bhature or Channa Bhatura, doubles are a Trinidadian street food where two baras (a type of flat bread) are layered beneath channa (chickpeas) topped with sweet, savory and spicy chutneys.

The dish was created in Princes Town Trinidad by Emamool Deen (fondly called Mamoondeen) and his wife in 1936 and has been a street food tradition ever since.

Want to learn more about doubles and check out an authentic Trinidadian doubles recipe? Check out this video by Taste of Trinbago. Thank you Reshmi for teaching me how to make doubles and encouraging me to remix it to be gluten free!

Why You’ll love this Gluten free doubles recipe

• Easy to follow: While doubles making has many steps, this recipe is easy to follow and perfect for first time doubles makers.
• Authentic Flavors: Although gluten free bara is not the traditional doubles bara, all of the flavors and textures of this recipe are authentic and true to the original recipe.
• Versatile: Doubles can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, snack or on dinner. It is the perfect on the go meal.

Ingredients

• Psyllium Husk: This ingredient act as a binder for gluten free flour, giving it the elasticity of gluten without the addition of gluten.
• Warm water: Warm water is needed to make the psyllium gel and also to activate the yeast in this recipe.
• All Purpose Gluten Free Flour: For this recipe I used Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour
• Yeast: I used dry active yeast but instant rising yeast also works
• Sugar: Add just a teaspoon of brown sugar to the recipe to feed the yeast
• Salt: Added for flavor
• Turmeric: Turmeric gives the bara and channa the signature yellow color and flavor.
• Oil: Choose a light oil with a high smoke point, suitable for frying, like sunflower, peanut, grapeseed, avocado or canola oil
• Chick peas (garbanzo beans): This is a key ingredient in the doubles topping. Highly recommend soaking overnight for best results
• Yellow split peas: This gives the channa the signature thickness and texture doubles channa is known for.
• Scallions: I love the flavor that chopped up scallions add to channa.
• Culantro: A key herb in Trinidadian cooking, Culantro also called Chandon Beni and Bandania adds a unique flavor to the dish.
• Garlic: Freshly grated garlic adds a great kick of flavor to the entire dish.
• Geera: Roasted Ground Cumin or Geera adds a bit of curry flavor to the channa.
• Cucumber: Freshly shredded cucumbers is one of the key doubles toppings.
• Pepper Sauce: This spicy sauce adds a bit of heat to the doubles
• Tamarind Chutney: Sweet and tangy with a little heat that balances out all of the flavors of doubles.

See recipe card for exact measurements.

Step by Step for Gluten Free Doubles

Let’s start with the bara as that is the most essential part of the doubles and also what I adapted to be gluten free. Here’s how to make the best gluten free bara for doubles.

First combine the psyllium husk and 3/4 cup of warm water to make the psyllium gel and set aside. Thank you https://theloopywhisk.com/ for this revolutionary psyllium gel method.

Then combine the gluten free all purpose flour, yeast, sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric and mix together well.

Next make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the psyllium gel and remaining warm water. Mix together to form a soft sticky dough. Then cover with a tablespoon of oil and let it rest in a warm place for at least an hour.

Separate the dough into 10 to 12 small dough balls. On a oiled surface, gently press the dough ball out until it is a thin round disk. Repeat this step for all of the remaining dough balls.

When ready to cook, heat 4 cups of oil in a deep pot on high heat and bring up to almost to the point of smoking, or about 375 °F. Add one of the pressed out baras and fry for 30 seconds, then flip and fry for another 30 seconds, then remove from the heat and rest between a kitchen towel. Repeat for the remaining baras.

How to make Channa for Doubles

I made the channa for these gluten free doubles in the instant pot. Thank you Reshmi from Taste of Trinbago for all of your tips and helping me to nail doubles on the first try.

To the instant pot add the chick peas, split peas, chopped onions, salt and 4 cups of water (use 6 cups if you didn’t soak the peas overnight). Pressure cook on high or max (depending on the instant pot version) for 30 minutes if you soaked the peas and 50 minutes if you didn’t. Then rapid release the pressure of the instant pot.

Using the back of a wooden spoon, crush some of the chickpeas up (about 1/4). Next add the chopped scallions, culantro, grated garlic, remaining turmeric and geera (roasted ground cumin). Then mix to combine. Next set the instant pot to sauté and bring it up to a boil (5 minutes). Then turn the instant pot off and set the channa aside.

How to serve Gluten Free Doubles

Doubles are served with a variety of sweet, savory and spicy condiments that add a burst of flavor and freshness to the overall dish. Layer two baras on a piece of parchment paper, then top each with a generous scoop of channa. Next add the condiments of your choice, then pick up each bara with all of the toppings (one at a time) and take a large bite.

• Shredded cucumber: Add this simple relish to your doubles for a burst of freshness and slightly crunchy texture.
• Bandania Sauce (chutney): This simple condiment is made by blending together culantro, water and salt. Get fancy add some roasted garlic and drizzle in some olive oil. Thank me later.
• Pepper sauce: Pepper sauce is a must for doubles. The options for adding pepper to doubles are: slight (a little), medium or loud (a lot). You can find my dad’s simple pepper sauce recipe here.
• Tamarind Chutney: This chutney adds some tanginess from the tamarind, with a bit of sweetness and heat. Get my Paleo tamarind chutney recipe in my new cookbook Caribbean Paleo.
• Others: There are many other chutneys that are added to doubles, some seasonal, like green mango chutney. The key is to keep it bright and fresh.

Taste of Trinbago’s Trinidad Doubles Recipe

Check out Reshmi’s recipe that I used (with her permission) and modified slightly for my doubles recipe. Thank you again Reshmi.