South Africa | Main dish

Bunny Chow

Durban bunny chow, a hollowed loaf filled with lamb, chicken, bean, or vegetable curry and served with the bread lid for scooping.

Country
South Africa
Region
Southern Africa
Time
95 min
Serves
4
Level
medium
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01 / Get ready

Everything you need

Tap each ingredient as you gather it. Illustrations are visual guides; follow the ingredient names and quantities.

Servings 4

Scale the dish before you shop, then use the checklist while you cook.

Jump to methodMy cookbook

02 / Let’s cook

One step at a time

Keep the rhythm calm, watch the texture, and adjust seasoning at the end.

Back to South Africa
6 steps 25 min prep 70 min cook (check method) 95 min total medium
1
Brown the meat
Heat oil in a heavy pot over high heat. Season lamb with salt and brown in batches until deep golden on all sides. Remove and set aside.
Kitchen noteDo not overcrowd the pot — browning in batches ensures a good sear.
Brown meat 08:00
2
Cook the curry base
Reduce heat to medium. Add onions and cook until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Add curry powder, garam masala, and curry leaves, stirring for 2 minutes until fragrant.
Cook base 10:00
3
Simmer the curry
Add tomatoes and return the lamb to the pot. Add enough water to just cover the meat. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer. Cover and cook for 40 minutes.
Simmer curry 40:00
4
Add potatoes
Add the potato quarters to the curry. Continue simmering for another 20 minutes until the potatoes are tender and the sauce has thickened.
Kitchen noteThe potatoes should be soft enough to break apart slightly, thickening the curry.
Cook potatoes 20:00
5
Prepare the bread
Cut the bread loaf in half. Hollow out each half, leaving about 2cm of bread on the sides and bottom. Keep the scooped-out bread for dipping.
6
Assemble and serve
Ladle the hot curry into the hollowed-out bread. Place the bread lid on top. Serve immediately, eating with your hands — tear pieces of bread and scoop up the curry.
Kitchen noteAuthentic bunny chow is always eaten with your hands, never cutlery.

Every household has small variations. Start here, then adjust seasoning, heat, and serving sides to your kitchen.

Cooking notes, photos & serving ideas
Recipe context

More about this dish

Serving ideas, regional context, and cooking cues for when you want more detail.

When to cook it

Best for Lunch. Plan on a medium cook. Allow about 95 minutes total.

What to serve alongside it

Carrot sambal, chopped onion, cucumber salad, achar, or extra gravy

Regional lane

Cape Malay and Durban table. Spiced mince, curry, bread bowls, and sweet-savory comfort cooking.

Chef watch-outs
  • Rushing the rest or fermentation period.
  • Rushing the base before the raw edge has cooked out.
  • Adding all seasoning early and forgetting to adjust at the end.
How you know it is ready
  • The bread or batter should smell pleasantly fermented, toasted, or nutty rather than floury.
  • The aroma should smell rounded rather than raw or sharp.
  • Oil, sauce, broth, or steam should look settled and deliberate.
Pantry lane

curry powder, apricot jam, chakalaka, mince, custard

Recipe photos

See the dish before you cook

Take a closer look at the dish and its serving ideas.

Bunny Chow recipe from South Africa
Bunny Chow finished dish
Chef board

Build the table around Bunny Chow

Carrot sambal, chopped onion, cucumber salad, achar, or extra gravy

Best route from here

Cape Malay and Durban table

Collections to keep cooking
Across Africa Showstoppers
Social plate

Why Bunny Chow gets people talking

A hollowed loaf filled with curry is portable, messy, nostalgic, and made for hand-held sharing photos.

#17 Showstopper
Hook

The edible curry bowl.

Caption starter

Durban built the curry bowl you can eat.

Hosting move

Serve with the bread plug on top and sambal beside it so the reveal feels playful.

Photo angle

Shoot the curry spilling slightly over the bread edge.

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