A good Trini Roti - your taste buds would thank you...

People have you ever had a good roti?  

Dhal-Pourie Roti with curry channa and alloo with a Red Solo (you cannot beat a Roti and a Red solo). Source: www.yelp.co.uk

It is one of the most popular foods here due to its rich taste, variety and surprisingly health benefits.  Made from flour, a type of bread, originally from India but was modify so much since our indentured labors ancestors came that it is not the same roti they brought.  Now there are a variety of roti, first there is the sada roti, which is similar to a tortilla but with some rising agents so it “swell” it is pretty simply and a good replacement for normal bread.  Then there is dhal-pourie where a split pea filling is added and it cook on a taawaa (flat grill) but oil is used when cooking.  Then there is buss-up-shut (Parata) which is the most popular and best tasting to many; this one has is a soft silky texture – it is kneaded with butter (not margarine) and cooked with lots of oil and as the name suggested does not comes out whole.  Dosti roti or three in one is similar to buss-up-shut but is simply three dough stacked one on top the other and is rolled out but comes out whole and can easily be separated when consuming.  There are many other variations and variety or roti but these are the most common.

Buss-up-shut with mango, bodi, channa and alloo, curry goat, soya chunks and pumpkin. Source: myajc.com

Now the actual roti is only part of the meal the dish or talkaarie is what compliments the meal, of course, the number one choice is curry duck from Caura but barring that there is an endless list of dishes, which can be added.  A staple is curry potato and chickpea (channa and alloo), mangoes curry or in black masala, pumpkin, curry chataigne (breadnut), curry chicken (though some crazy persons rather it stew), wild meat, and the list goes on and on.  The main style as you can guess is Trinidad curry (quite different from curry around the world), lots of pepper sauce (mother-in-law), and if you are in a Hindu prayers then you eat on a sooharie leaf (leave similar to banana leaf) - I cannot do justice to describe the taste so I would not try.

Sada roti, channa and alloo, pumpkin and curry chicken. Source Trinicooking.com

But I would say back in 1998 when Trinidad and Tobago won the Miss Universe pageant and the host asked the new Miss Universe what is the first thing she is going to do when she gets home; her answer was to get a roti.  I personally would prefer a doubles, but many Trinis who has travelled around the world would always say they could not wait to get home and eat a good roti. 

Pepper roti, which is cooked with the ingredients. Source Pinterest.com

There are many foods, which makes Trinidad special, but this one stands out and so I decided to do an entire post on it.  I suggest you try a roti and curry chicken if you ever get the chance – I know in parts of the USA and UK Trini roti shops exist but if you ask a Trini they would say it taste nothing like the ones back home.