Bunny Chow: How to Make a South African Bunny Chow
Bunny Chow is a South African fast food, consisting of a crusty white bread filled with curry, sometimes called just a rabbit. A small bunny version that uses only a quarter of the bread is often referred to as Black South Africans or “Kota” (“quarter”). It’s a name it shares with Spal, a South African rabbit dish.
The bunny chow is made in Durban, home to a large population of Indian origin. The exact source of the food is debatable, though it dates from the 1940s. It was also sold during World War II in Gwelo, Rhodesia (today Gweru), and is still available in the nearby city of Kadoma, formerly known as Gatooma.
Chinese rabbits are common in the Durban region among Indians and other ethnic groups. Chinese rabbits are usually filled with curries prepared according to traditional Durban recipes.
These include mutton or lamb, chicken, foot and beans, curry sauce with beans and fries, fried sausage, cheese, eggs, and Poland. However, the original rabbit was vegetarian.
- South African Bunny Chow
- Recipe Category: Apertizers
- Cuisine: South African
The whole preparation and cooking time is 1 hour and 30 minutes. This recipe is suitable for at least four servings.
Ingredients of Bunny Chow from South Africa
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon of fennel seeds
- 3 cm piece of cinnamon
- 3 green cardamom pods
- Anise seeds 3 stars
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons South African curry powder
- 3 tomatoes, chopped
- 1 kg boneless lamb cut to 1.5 cm
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 12 curry leaves
- 3 large potatoes, cut into cubes the same size as the meat
- Salt to taste
- 2 tablespoons coriander leaves, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
- 3 loaves of crunchy white bread, uncut, cut in half in the middle, and most inside
- coriander twigs, decorate
Directions for Bunny Chow in South Africa
Step 1: Heat the oil in a pan and simmer all the spices and bay leaf until it boils. You can then add the onions and cook until translucent, 5 to 7 minutes.
Step 2: Add the curry powder and simmer for 1 minute, then add the tomatoes, then stir.
Step 3: Cook over medium heat, stir regularly until you get a sauce consistency.
Step 4: Add pork, ginger, garlic and curry leaves and 300 ml of water and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer, occasionally stirring, for 40 to 50 minutes or until the meat is tender.
Step 5: Add the potatoes, salt to taste, and 200 ml of additional water; continue to simmer until the meat and potatoes are cooked (about 15 minutes).
Step 6: Add lime juice and chopped cilantro. Pour into bread holes and garnish with cilantro.
South African Bunny Chow Additional information
- This portion contains 449 calories, 20 g total fat, 38 mg cholesterol, 624 mg potassium.
- It will take you 1 hour and 30 minutes to prepare this dish.
- This recipe will do enough to serve four.
- Rabbits are often served with a meal of grated carrots, chili pepper, and a salty onion commonly known as sambali.
- The preferred main feature of the bunny chow is that it permeates the curry stuffing sauce on the sides of the bread.
Watch this video for additional tutorial to prepare Bunny Chow
