BAVINA SOOKDEO
Doubles has become a national dish in Trinidad and Tobago. This iconic street food has a rich history rooted in cultural heritage and family tradition.
Doubles consist of curried chickpeas (channa) sandwiched between two pieces of fried dough called bara.
It owes much of its legacy to pioneering families like the Deens and Alis.
Wazim Ali, a third-generation doubles vendor, continues his storied tradition with Ali’s Doubles, in Vistabella, San Fernando.
Through dedication and adaptation, he continues to honour his family’s tradition while navigating the challenges of modern business.
He related the history of doubles in TT to Business Day, beginning with Mamoo Deen and his wife Rasulan, who started producing channa and bara in 1936. Ali’s grandfather, Asgar Ali, in 1938 joined his brother-in-law (Mamoo Deen) in this venture.
"My grandfather moved to San Fernando from Fairfield in Princes Town, and that’s where Ali & Sons Bara and Channa eventually became Ali’s Doubles," Ali said.
In those early days, the process was labour-intensive.
[caption id="attachment_1086613" align="alignnone" width="1024"] HOT DOUBLES ON D SPOT: Marabella doubles vendor Diahann prepares a doubles for a customer. FILE PHOTO - FILE PHOTO[/caption]
"Preparations started at 4 am with lighting firewood, boiling channa and frying bara in hot coconut oil,” Ali explained.
Since taking over the business in 2020, the young Ali has introduced some changes, while preserving traditional methods.
"We had to adapt due to covid19, shifting to strictly takeaway services,” he said.
Despite modern conveniences like gas stoves and dough mixers, much of the preparation remains hands-on, maintaining the authenticity of the product.
A typical day at Ali’s Doubles starts at 3 am.
"We light up the channa, knead the flour, and fry the bara. By 7 am, we’re open, and usually sell out by 10.30 am."
This rigorous schedule, he pointed out, ensures the doubles maintain their high quality and unique flavour.
Running a doubles business is not without its challenges. The rising costs of flour, ch
[caption id="attachment_1086616" align="alignnone" width="768"] Sanjay Yankatasu, the owner of Om Kar Doubles and Pies.Photo courtesy Om Kar Doubles and Pies. -[/caption]
anna and oil have forced price adjustments.
"We’ve had to increase our prices due to significant hikes in flour and other ingredients," Ali said. "Flour prices have made us move from $5 to $6. The increase from $60 to $90 in flour was the biggest factor in addition to increasing channa, oil and packaging costs. Channa fluctuates a couple times a year – between $300 to $550 a bag. Oil prices have settled at $220, up from $170."
Additionally, crime has necessitated increased security measures, including cameras and panic buttons, as a result of robberies.
Despite these challenges, Ali remains optimistic about the future. He sees the commercialisation of doubles as a positive development.
"Imagine walking into a supermarket and picking up a pack of rea
