Paratha is an East Indian flatbread, and the name means layered cooked dough. Traditionally, Paratha is made with ghee, a nutty-tasting mixture made by rendering the water and milk solids out of unsalted butter. The layered dough is then cooked on a flat surface known as a Roti Tawa to create a fluffy, nutty, buttery, and chewy flatbread. While all these elements of Paratha remain with the Trini version, we make it out by literally kicking it up a notch during the cooking process. We take this Trinidad Paratha between two wooden spatulas, flip it, spin it, toss it, and beat it up. It is ready once it resembles a ripped-up crumpled pile of an old T-Shirt, which is where it gets its local name, 'Buss Up Shut.' By attacking the mostly cooked dough, we bring out and break up the layers of the flatbread, making it the perfect vessel to pick up food and eat with your hands. After you have ripped off a piece, take the shreds to scoop up some curry or dunk into some sauce before devouring and licking your fingers dry.
