Nashauna Drummond, Lifestyle Coordinator

Left: Once the roti is done, it is beaten into bite-size pieces. Right: Prakash Putkoon flipping the gigantic Bus up Shut roti.

Roti lovers may have thought they died and went to heaven if they were among the hundreds who turned out for the annual Roti Festival at Club India, Lady Musgrave Road, on Sunday. With numerous rides and activities to occupy the children, the adults were free to indulge in all the fine delicacies that were on hand. And indulge they did!

This year, the plain old roti took a back seat, making room for new favourites like the cheese roti, the vegetarian favourite chick pea roti and the Trinidad-inspired Buss up Shut.

Monster roti

Though roti was the star of the evening, there was also Dhal Vada, prepared by Jaya's Catering.

But what's roti without some dhal, curry mango and curry goat? There was plenty of that to satisfy even the most demanding roti lover. There were also other Indian dishes such as dhal vada, chicken lollipop and the oh-so-sweet Gulab Jamu.

The growth of the festival was obvious in the numerous stalls and the large turnout. Though many persons came and collected their roti and left, many hung around to enjoy all that the festival had to offer.

Shortly after 2:00 p.m., the entertainment segment of the festival kicked off with traditional Indian dancing, singing and a demonstration of the making of the big kahuna: Buss up Shut. It was the centre of attraction as Trinidadian native Prakash Putkoon demonstrated how thisroti is made. This monster can get up to 30 centimetres in diameter. A favourite at weddings in the twin-island republic, it can feed quite a crowd.

It's made with the basic roti ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder and a sprinkling of salt. It's rolled thin and continuously based with a mixture of oil and butter. Home- makers and curious onlookers crowded the booth to watch the monster rise. Once it is well cooked and based on both sides, it is gathered and beaten, causing it to break into bite-size pieces.

As the evening wore on and the sun retreated, the crowd seemed to enjoy the entertainment. From a performance by Rochelle and Chantelle Biersay, to a 'spirited' dance by nine-year-old Suhail Chopra, there were also performances by the St Johns United Tassa Band out of Trinidad and local favourites Fab Five. It was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon at a gastronomic fair for the whole family.

Roti was available in different shapes, sizes and flavours, such as this cheese roti. - photos by Nashauna Drummond

For those with a sweet tooth there was the dessert Gulab Jamu.