Bunny chow is a much-loved South African street food that originated in Durban. It consists of a hollowed-out loaf of soft white bread filled with a spicy curry, typically made with mutton, chicken or beans. The name is believed to come from the Hindi word ‘baniya’, referring to Indian merchants who first served the dish as a convenient, handheld meal for workers. Over time, ‘baniya chow’ came to be known as bunny chow
| Created by | Spinneys |
| Prep time | 20 minutes |
| Cook time | 70 minutes |
| Serves | 4 |
| Cuisine | South African |
| Diet | Other |
| Preparation | Moderate |
| Calories | 1119 |
| Fat | 63g |
| Saturates | 26g |
| Protein | 55g |
| Carbs | 81g |
| Sugars | 15g |
| Given the cook-at-home nature of Spinneys and natural variations in ingredients, nutritional information is approximated. See details | |
Ingredients
Cooking Instructions
Download PDFCombine the chilli powder and all of the ground spices together to form the Durban-style masala and set aside for later.
Peel and finely slice the onions, quarter the potatoes and dice the tomatoes. Mince the garlic and ginger.
Heat the oil in a large pot over a medium heat. Add the sliced onions and sauté until soft and lightly golden. Stir in the ginger, garlic and masala spice, cooking for 2 minutes until aromatic. Add the chopped tomatoes, 1 tsp salt and a splash of water to loosen everything. Cook uncovered, stirring often, until the tomatoes have broken down and the oil begins to separate.
Add the mutton pieces, stirring to coat in the spices. Add the curry leaves and whole green chillies. Cover the meat with water and reduce the heat to medium-low, place a lid on the pot and cook for 30–40 minutes.
Add the potatoes and cook for another 10–15 minutes, or until the potatoes and meat are tender. If the curry is too thick, add a splash of water until it reaches the desired consistency.
To make the relish, use a julienne peeler to grate the carrots. Finely slice the onion and chop a handful of coriander. Toss in a bowl with the white vinegar, 1 tsp sugar and ½ tsp salt and set aside for 10–15 minutes before serving.
Slice each loaf in half and hollow out the soft centres, saving them for later. Spoon the hot curry into each hollowed loaf and top with roughly torn coriander.
Serve the bunny chow with the carrot relish on the side and the reserved bread to mop up the gravy.
