Bunny Chow

About This Recipe

Bunny Chow is a Durban street-food institution — a quarter or half loaf of white bread hollowed out and filled with rich, fiery curry. Invented by the Indian community in Durban in the early 20th century, it is eaten with hands, using the bread 'lid' to scoop up the last of the sauce.

Ingredients

Serves 2

• 1 wholeunsliced white sandwich loaf
• 500 gbone-in chicken pieces
• 3 tbspDurban masala (hot curry powder)
• 400 gcanned chopped tomatoes
• 2 mediumpotatoes, cubed
• 1 largeonion, sliced

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the curry

   Fry onion in oil until golden. Add masala and cook 1 minute. Add chicken and brown all over. Stir in tomatoes and potatoes with 200 ml water. Simmer 30–35 minutes until chicken is cooked and sauce thick.

2. 2

   Hollow the bread

   Cut the loaf in half crosswise. Pull out the soft inside of each half to create a bowl, leaving a 2 cm wall. Reserve the torn bread as the 'lid'.

3. 3

   Fill

   Ladle hot curry generously into each bread bowl so it overflows slightly.

4. 4

   Serve immediately

   Top with the bread lid. Eat with your hands — no cutlery needed.

Variations

• •

  Mutton bunny is the classic Durban original.

• •

  Bean bunny (sugar beans) is popular among vegetarians.

Storage

Curry keeps refrigerated 3 days. Fill fresh bread just before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions