Who's your Trinidaddy?My wife, Tenielle, is from Trinidad. She was born there, moved to New York when she was 2, then moved back when she was 5, then moved back to the US when she was 8. She hasn't been back since, but I'm hoping one day we will make the trek. I've heard that her family has land where Pirates once buried treasure, so I'm thinking an exploration is in order!
When Tenielle and I were dating in New Jersey, I ate at her house a lot. It was there that my eyes were opened to some of the best food I've ever had, and where I began to really want to explore foods from other cultures.
Being from Yakima, I had grown up with a lot of Hispanic food but that was about it! All of a sudden, I was having Caribbean food that combines awesome island flavors with a huge influence of East Indian dishes. As this blog continues, I'm excited to share some of the foods we've created based on Tenielle's upbringing - Roti, Pelau, and Trinidad Curry Chicken. It's a good reason keep following this Fat Pastor.
Only recently, in the last year and a half, did I have the opportunity to try a mainstay of Trinidad street food. We had gone to New Jersey for a visit, and Tenielle's mother, Wendy, had found a little hole in the wall cafe serving nothing but Trinidadian cuisine. What she was most excited about was something called "Doubles."
We walked into the restaurant, and were greeted by a very loud and happy man, who was obviously the chef. He was excited to see us, and Wendy, who I am sure had been there plenty of times prior. You could tell he had grown up in Trinidad, with a thick island accent. Now, I don't want you to start thinking of "Cool Runnings," because, as I've learned through trial and much error, all Caribbean accents are NOT the same. I have made the mistake of referring to mother-in-law's Jamaican accent, and learned, with a slap to the head, that she is from Trinidad NOT Jamaica, and they DON'T sound the same.
Within a few minutes, we had placed our order, and this awesome Trinidad gentleman was bringing us our doubles. The smell of curry and cumin filled my nostrils, and my mouth began to salivate. I unwrapped the paper surrounding the Double, and staring back at me was a beautiful sandwich of fried dough, stuffed with chick peas and a rich curry sauce. My first bite was a sensation that I'll never forget - the fluffy dough, sopping up the soft chickpeas, with all of it's curried goodness, and just a little bit of heat. It was like nothing I'd ever had before, and unfortunately, something I can't just go out and buy living in Yakima.
So we began experimenting with creating Doubles. I look forward to the day that I get to eat 10, sitting on a beach in Trinidad with my wife, but for now these will do. And to be honest - they do pretty good! My favorite addition is that of the Cilantro Chutney. It adds a citrus-y kick to liven up the curry spices. Your tastebuds will definitely light up with the combo of flavors!
This might be something you've never tried before, but if you are a fan of fried bread and Indian spices - do it! You won't be disappointed!
Trinidad Doubles
Ingredients:
For The Double Bread:
3 1/3 Cups Flour
1 Tbl. Cumin
1.5 Tsp. Turmeric
1 Tbl. Baking powder
1 Tsp. Salt
2 Cups Warm Water
1 Tsp. Yeast
1/2 Tsp. Sugar
Oil For Frying
For The Filling:
2 Cans Chick Peas (Garbanzo Beans), Drained
1.5 Tsp. Curry
1.5 Tsp. Cumin
1.5 Tsp. Turmeric
1.5 Tsp. Garam Masala
2 Cloves Garlic, chopped
1/2 Inch Ginger, chopped
1/2 Cup Chopped Onion
2 Tbl. Olive Oil
1/4 Cup Chopped Cilantro
Salt & Pepper To Taste
For The Cilantro Chutney:
1 Bunch Cilantro
1 Jalapeño, quartered (if you're brave, leave the
seeds, otherwise remove them)
1/4 Cup Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
1 Inch Ginger, peeled and chopped
1.5 Tsp. Salt
1 Tsp. Cumin
1 Tsp. Olive Oil
1 Tsp. Sugar
Pinch of Garlic Powder
Pinch of Onion Powder
Instructions For The Dough:
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, cumin, turmeric, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, combine the water and sugar. Pour yeast over the top, and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
Once your yeast is activated and foaming, combine with the dry ingredients and mix well. You'll find a very sticky ball of dough only barely coming together. This is okay. Pour some oil over the top of the dough, cover with a damp cloth, and allow to sit for 1 hour.
Go chill out for a bit, maybe make some Chai Tea :)
Once your dough is ready, it will be puffed up from the yeast, but might look a little more like a batter than dough. This is okay! You're just going to have to make sure that you keep your hands oiled up REALLY WELL so that you don't have more dough on your hands than in the frying pan.
Heat about a 1/4 cup of oil over medium to medium-high heat. Once it's hot and your hands are well oiled, take a chunk of the dough, about the size of a golf ball, and form it between your hands into a small flat pancake. You might have to do some pulling and stretching, but once you've got it flat, lay it down in the oil. It's gonna cook pretty fast, about a minute and a half per side. When it's nice and golden brown (golden from the turmeric!) drain it on a paper towel and keep warm in the oven on it's lowest setting. Repeat, until you've finished your dough, making sure to refresh the oil when necessary.
Time to move on to the filling!
Instructions For The Filling:
Mash your garlic and ginger together in a small bowl to make a paste. Set aside. In another small bowl, combine curry, cumin, turmeric and garam masala with 1/4 cup of water. Mix in your garlic and ginger paste.
In a medium pot, over medium heat, add your 2 Tbl. Olive Oil. When hot, throw in your pinch of garlic and onion powder, and stir for a couple seconds. Then add your spice and garlic/ginger mix. To that add the onions, and stir fry until translucent, 7 minutes or so. Now it's time to add the chick peas. Stir them in to coat with the onions and spice mixture, and then add about a cup and a half of water. Bring to a boil, and then allow to simmer over medium low for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the simmer seems to strong, reduce to low.
After 20 minutes, take a potato masher and lightly mash some, and only some, of the chickpeas. This helps to create a really nice gravy consistency. Add in your chopped cilantro, and then salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm until ready to serve.
Instructions For The Cilantro Chutney:
Place all ingredients in a food processor, and blend until smooth. I use my magic bullet for this, and it works awesome!
I hope you enjoy this as much as my wife and I do! And watch for more Trinidad Recipes here at The Fat Pastor.
Because eating good is a calling of it's own!
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