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Bunny Chow

Bunny Chow is a legendary Durban street food that every global food lover simply must experience! This iconic South African dish features a mouth-watering chicken curry nestled inside a hearty 'bread bowl', with the scooped-out soft crumb, affectionately known as "the virgin," served on the side or on top.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
55 mins
Servings: 4 quarter bunnies
Calories: 1080 kcal
Course: Main Course , Appetizer , Snacks
Cuisine: South African

Ingredients

  • 1 kilogram chicken thighs, diced no skin, no bones
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 2 medium onions, diced roughly 150g
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 5 curry leaves fresh or dried
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds or ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • 5 cardamom pods, crushed
  • 4 teaspoons Durban masala or curry powder heat level of choice
  • 2 teaspoons garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon Turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 2 teaspoons garlic, chopped or garlic paste
  • 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, chopped or ginger paste
  • 1 400g can chopped tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1½ - 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1½ - 2 cups water
  • 2 unsliced sandwich loaves square ends, also called 'government loaf'
  • fresh coriander leaves for serving
Optional heat
  • 1-2 green chillies or a pinch of cayenne pepper or chilli flakes

Instructions

Making the chicken curry
    Cup of Yum
  1. Dice the chicken thighs and chop the onions.
  2. Heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, curry leaves, cumin seeds and crushed cardamom pods to the hot oil.
  3. Reduce the heat to medium and gently cook the onions until they’re soft, translucent and just starting to turn a light golden colour, about 5 minutes. Stir frequently.
  4. Add the Durban masala (or curry powder), garam masala, turmeric, ground coriander, garlic and ginger. Cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently. The spices will start to stick to the bottom of the pan, so keep scraping and stirring to prevent burning.
  5. Next, add the can of tomatoes and stir into the spices. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring and scraping frequently, until the sauce begins to thicken slightly. Watch out for burning. If the sauce starts to catch, turn the heat down as needed.
  6. Add the sugar and salt and combine with the sauce.
  7. Add the chicken pieces and stir until they're coated with the sauce. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
  8. Finally, add enough water to almost cover the ingredients, but not fully. Bring to a gentle simmer.
  9. Cover the pan with a lid and let it simmer over low heat for 30 minutes until the chicken is tender. Stir the curry occasionally to prevent sticking.Check the water level. If it looks too saucy at the 15-minute mark, remove the lid to let some liquid evaporate.Look for a medium consistency - too runny will soak the bread, too dry and you won't have any sauce to dip the bread in.
Prepare the bread bowl
  1. Slice the bread in half for a 'half bunny' or in quarters for a 'quarter bunny.' This recipe yields two half bunnies or four quarter bunnies.
  2. Using a sharp serrated knife, cut a square out of the bread to form a hollow, leaving a roughly 2cm border on the sides and bottom.Gently ease out the filling (called the 'virgin') and set it aside to serve with the bunny.
  3. Scoop the curry into the bread bowl, top with fresh coriander leaves and serve immediately with a side of carrot sambal and the scooped-out soft crumb on the side or on top.

Notes

  • Cooking a curry is a lot more enjoyable when you prep everything beforehand. Chop and measure your ingredients and spices, then line them up in the order you’ll use them. It makes the whole process a breeze!
  • You can make the curry a day ahead for a deeper, richer flavour as the spices meld and develop over time.
  • Aim for a curry that's thick enough to avoid soaking the bread bowl but not too dry for dipping.
  • We recommend keeping the sugar in - it balances the tomato's acidity without making the curry sweet. If you're sugar-free, leave it out or replace with a teaspoon of powdered sweetener.
  • Be generous with the salt. An under-salted curry is a complete letdown. We use about 1.5-2 teaspoons.

Nutrition Information

Calories 1080kcal (54%) Carbohydrates 87g (29%) Protein 58g (116%) Fat 56g (86%) Saturated Fat 13g (65%) Polyunsaturated Fat 13g Monounsaturated Fat 23g Trans Fat 0.3g Cholesterol 245mg (82%) Sodium 1935mg (81%) Potassium 1089mg (31%) Fiber 11g (44%) Sugar 16g (32%) Vitamin A 401IU (8%) Vitamin C 42mg (47%) Calcium 297mg (30%) Iron 10mg (56%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4quarter bunnies

Amount Per Serving

Calories 1080

% Daily Value*

Calories 1080kcal 54%
Carbohydrates 87g 29%
Protein 58g 116%
Fat 56g 86%
Saturated Fat 13g 65%
Polyunsaturated Fat 13g 76%
Monounsaturated Fat 23g 115%
Trans Fat 0.3g 15%
Cholesterol 245mg 82%
Sodium 1935mg 81%
Potassium 1089mg 23%
Fiber 11g 44%
Sugar 16g 32%
Vitamin A 401IU 8%
Vitamin C 42mg 47%
Calcium 297mg 30%
Iron 10mg 56%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.