Name: Bunny Chow
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 80 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: South Africa, Southern Africa
Ingredients: 800 g lamb shoulder, cubed; 3 tbsp vegetable oil; 2 whole onions, finely chopped; 3 tbsp Durban curry powder; 1 tsp garam masala; 400 g canned tomatoes, crushed; 3 whole potatoes, peeled and quartered; 10 whole curry leaves, fresh; 1 whole unsliced white bread loaf, half loaf per serving

Bunny Chow

A Durban original â€” a hollowed-out loaf of white bread filled with fragrant, slow-cooked lamb or chicken curry, eaten with your hands.

Country

South Africa

Region

Southern Africa

Time

80 min

Serves

Level

medium

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Bunny Chow originated in the Indian community of Durban in the 1940s. During apartheid, when non-white South Africans were barred from eating in restaurants, Indian merchants at the Grey Street area began serving curry inside hollowed-out bread loaves as a portable meal. The name's origin is debated, but the dish has become one of Durban's most iconic culinary exports.

What the dish tastes like

A Durban original â€” a hollowed-out loaf of white bread filled with fragrant, slow-cooked lamb or chicken curry, eaten with your hands.

When to cook it

Best for Lunch, with a medium cooking level and about 80 minutes total.

What to serve alongside it

Pickled vegetables and grated carrot salad

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.

Do not overcrowd the pot â€” browning in batches ensures a good sear.

Brown meat 08:00

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

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

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.

The potatoes should be soft enough to break apart slightly, thickening the curry.

Cook potatoes 20:00

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.

Assemble and serve

Ladle the hot curry into the hollowed-out bread. Place the bread lid on top. Serve immediately, eating with your hands â€” tear pieces of bread and scoop up the curry.

Authentic bunny chow is always eaten with your hands, never cutlery.

Bunny Chow

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Step-by-step instructions

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