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Buss Up Shut (Paratha Roti)

Flaky, buttery paratha roti, beaten on the griddle until it tears into soft, torn-cloth layers, ready to scoop up curry.

Curry and Roti

  • 2 hr 10 min est.
  • Serves 4
  • Involved
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Trini
A paratha roti on paper, torn into soft layers

Paratha roti came to Trinidad with Indian indentured labourers in the nineteenth century, and over generations it picked up a local name: buss up shut, from “burst-up shirt”, because the finished roti looks like a torn piece of cloth.

The layers come from brushing the rolled dough with fat, sprinkling it with flour, then rolling it into a cone and flattening it again. On the tawa (a flat iron griddle) it puffs, and while it is hot it gets clapped or beaten with wooden paddles until it breaks apart.

It takes a few tries to get the feel of it. The first roti is a practice roti in most kitchens.

The recipe

Buss Up Shut (Paratha Roti)

Prep
40 min
Cook
30 min
Resting dough
1 hr
Total
2 hr 10 min
Serves
4
Makes
4 large roti

Times and quantities are our best estimates. This recipe is still being kitchen-tested, so trust your eyes and taste as you go.

Ingredients

Tick items off as you gather them.

Method

  1. Mix the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Add the water gradually and knead into a soft, smooth dough. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
  2. Mix the softened butter with the oil. Divide the dough into 4 balls.
  3. Roll one ball into a thin circle about 10 inches (25 cm) across. Brush it all over with the butter mixture and sprinkle lightly with flour.
  4. Make a single cut from the centre to the edge. Starting at one cut edge, roll the dough around itself into a cone. Tuck the point underneath and press the top down into a thick disc. Repeat with the rest, then cover and rest for 30 minutes.
  5. Heat a tawa or large cast-iron pan over medium-high heat.
  6. On a floured surface, roll a disc out thinly to about 12 inches (30 cm). Lay it on the hot tawa and cook for about 1 minute, until bubbles form. Brush with oil, flip, brush the other side, and cook until both sides have golden spots.
  7. While it is still on the heat, beat it with two wooden spatulas (or lift it into a clean tea towel and clap it between your hands) until the layers break apart.
  8. Keep each roti wrapped in a tea towel while you cook the rest.

Serve it with

  • Curry chicken, curry goat or curry channa and aloo
  • Pumpkin talkari and mango kuchela

Substitutions

  • Ghee gives a richer flavour than butter and oil.
  • No tawa? A large, heavy frying pan works.

Storing and reheating

  • Wrap cooled roti tightly and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
  • Reheat in a dry pan or wrapped in a damp towel in the microwave until soft.

Cook's notes

  • Resting the coiled dough is what makes rolling it thin possible without tearing.
  • The sprinkle of flour between the layers keeps them separate when the roti is beaten.

https://trinbagorecipes.com/recipes/buss-up-shut/

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