Bunny Chow
Bunny Chow (serves 2)
For more people simply multiply the quantities.
Originating in the South African coastal city of Durban, home to a large population of Indian descent, bunny chow is, essentially, nothing more than curry poured into and over quarter of a loaf of white bread. How this curry came to be served with white bread rather than with the more typically Indian accompaniments of rice and roti is not 100% clear but most theories suppose it to have been to allow Indian sugar cane cutters a way of transporting their lunches to their place of work. How the name came about is also unclear, with suggestions variously indicating it was named for the bunia caste who served it or for the bunya or banyan tree under which the curries were sold.
Bunnies, as they are known, are typically ordered in the local slang as “quarter mutton”, referring to the meat therein and the quarter loaf it arrives in, and they are the ultimate scalable dish. Simply specify more of the loaf – a half, a full – to feed more people. That said, a bunny is quite filling, and it is not uncommon for a quarter to be shared between two.
And no, before you ask, there is no rabbit in the recipe, although I daresay some witty soul has made the mental leap and done so, probably with great success. We certainly wouldn’t be opposed to trying it in the future either but wanted to avoid being so trite publicly.
1lb stewing lamb cubes, or lamb shoulder chops hacked into chunks
1 large onion, sliced into half moons
3-6 cloves garlic, minced
3-5 medium tomatoes, chopped
3 green cardamom pods
1 stick cinnamon
1-2 whole star anise
3-5 curry leaves
1 tsp ground hot pepper
3 tbsp Madras curry powder
2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground coriander seed
1 tsp ground turmeric
water
salt
plain yogurt
cooking oil or clarified butter
1 large unsliced loaf of your favorite white or wholewheat/meal bread. Tin loaves are preferable as receptacles because they stand up best by themselves.
3 tbsp chopped cilantro
In a deep, heavy pot over medium flame, heat cinnamon stick, cardamom pods and star anise in 2 tablespoons cooking oil, for 2-3 minutes.
Add onions and cook until translucent. Remove onions and whole spices to a plate and reserve.
Add another tablespoon of oil to the pot and cook the lamb until nicely browned on all sides.
Add a fourth tablespoon of oil and add powdered spices and curry leaves, stirring well. Cook for no more than two minutes before adding garlic and chopped tomatoes.
Stir mixture well until a kind of paste is formed before returning onions and whole spices to the pot and adding enough water to cover everything.
Bring to a simmer and cook covered for at least an hour, preferably two.
After curry is cooked, taste for seasoning, and add salt (and in our case, the juice of half a lemon) to taste.
Add two or three tablespoons of plain/natural yogurt (or cream, if you’re feeling fancy) and stir well. Taste again.
It should be nicely spicy and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. If it’s still a bit thin, either continue to simmer uncovered until the right thickness is achieved, or sieve a tablespoon of flour into it, and it should thicken up nicely.
Cut your loaf into quarters, pull out some of the insides and reserve. Place quarter loaves on plates. Spoon curry into hollow bread, sprinkle with chopped cilantro, and place reserved doughy inside of loaf on top.
Enjoy with a bottle of chilled South African white, a cup of rooibos tea, or as I prefer, a cold bottle of Castle lager.
Bunny Chow (serves 2)
For more people simply multiply the quantities.
Originating in the South African coastal city of Durban, home to a large population of Indian descent, bunny chow is, essentially, nothing more than curry poured into and over quarter of a loaf of white bread. How this curry came to be served with white bread rather than with the more typically Indian accompaniments of rice and roti is not 100% clear but most theories suppose it to have been to allow Indian sugar cane cutters a way of transporting their lunches to their place of work. How the name came about is also unclear, with suggestions variously indicating it was named for the bunia caste who served it or for the bunya or banyan tree under which the curries were sold.
Bunnies, as they are known, are typically ordered in the local slang as “quarter mutton”, referring to the meat therein and the quarter loaf it arrives in, and they are the ultimate scalable dish. Simply specify more of the loaf – a half, a full – to feed more people. That said, a bunny is quite filling, and it is not uncommon for a quarter to be shared between two.
And no, before you ask, there is no rabbit in the recipe, although I daresay some witty soul has made the mental leap and done so, probably with great success. We certainly wouldn’t be opposed to trying it in the future either but wanted to avoid being so trite publicly.
1lb stewing lamb cubes, or lamb shoulder chops hacked into chunks
1 large onion, sliced into half moons
3-6 cloves garlic, minced
3-5 medium tomatoes, chopped
3 green cardamom pods
1 stick cinnamon
1-2 whole star anise
3-5 curry leaves
1 tsp ground hot pepper
3 tbsp Madras curry powder
2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground coriander seed
1 tsp ground turmeric
water
salt
plain yogurt
cooking oil or clarified butter
1 large unsliced loaf of your favorite white or wholewheat/meal bread. Tin loaves are preferable as receptacles because they stand up best by themselves.
3 tbsp chopped cilantro
In a deep, heavy pot over medium flame, heat cinnamon stick, cardamom pods and star anise in 2 tablespoons cooking oil, for 2-3 minutes.
Add onions and cook until translucent. Remove onions and whole spices to a plate and reserve.
Add another tablespoon of oil to the pot and cook the lamb until nicely browned on all sides.
Add a fourth tablespoon of oil and add powdered spices and curry leaves, stirring well. Cook for no more than two minutes before adding garlic and chopped tomatoes.
Stir mixture well until a kind of paste is formed before returning onions and whole spices to the pot and adding enough water to cover everything.
Bring to a simmer and cook covered for at least an hour, preferably two.
After curry is cooked, taste for seasoning, and add salt (and in our case, the juice of half a lemon) to taste.
Add two or three tablespoons of plain/natural yogurt (or cream, if you’re feeling fancy) and stir well. Taste again.
It should be nicely spicy and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. If it’s still a bit thin, either continue to simmer uncovered until the right thickness is achieved, or sieve a tablespoon of flour into it, and it should thicken up nicely.
Cut your loaf into quarters, pull out some of the insides and reserve. Place quarter loaves on plates. Spoon curry into hollow bread, sprinkle with chopped cilantro, and place reserved doughy inside of loaf on top.
Enjoy with a bottle of chilled South African white, a cup of rooibos tea, or as I prefer, a cold bottle of Castle lager.
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