The story
Emamool 'Mamoodeen' Deen, a sugar estate worker in Princes Town in southern Trinidad, and his wife Rasulan began selling channa in 1936 to supplement his 25 cents a day, starting with paper cones of fried chickpeas. They soon offered curried channa on a single bara, a fried flatbread already eaten with chutney by Indo-Trinidadians. Customers kept asking them to double up on the bara, and doubles was born. The Deens' sons and in-laws, including the Ali family, spread the business across the island. Probably inspired by North Indian chole bhature, doubles is now Trinidad and Tobago's favourite breakfast and late-night snack.
Also known as Trinidad doubles, Trini doubles.
On the Meridish menu
Doubles was the street food course on menu No. 13 on October 13, 2026. Its clue in the game, which hints at the place without naming it:
Two soft fried flatbreads holding curried chickpeas and chutneys. A couple first sold them in this small town in 1936, and customers kept asking for the bread doubled.
In Meridish, every dish is pinned to the town or city most widely credited with creating it. A guess within 25 km scores all 100 points. How scoring works.
Sources
Food history is often disputed. Think we've pinned it in the wrong place? Tell us at hello@meridish.com, ideally with a source.
