Bunny Chow – deliciously tasty South African Street food with made with aromatic spices, meat, chickpeas and potatoes served in hollow bread. A one-of-a-kind sandwich!
With winter in full swing, you can’t have enough comforting meals in your arsenal. I mean, think about it, why would want to make the same thing over and over again? That’s why you have me.
This it’s an absolutely perfect comfort food and you will not stop eating it. Again another favorite with hubby, he ate it for lunch, dinner and breakfast, until it was all gone. Forgot about everyone else – not good.
You will not come across a “sandwich” like this! Yes, indeed!
Bunny Chow is a very unique, portable and popular South African street food that exemplifies the natural fusion of South African Cuisine. A highly spiced curry that will get any spice lover excited, my kind of peeps!
Rest assured no bunnies are involved in this dish. It’s usually made with some sort of protein; Lamb, chicken or vegetables and oh so delicious! Served in a hollowed out bread bowl, makes it even more appealing for carb lovers.
Okay, the term bunny is another variation from the word “Bania“, an Indian class of traders who sold this tasty street food.
Don’t let the ingredients list scare, it’s simple and straight food and is no more complicated than making any stew. The only hard pressed decision is what to what meat to use. Or you can leave the meat for the carnivores and make it totally vegetarian or vegan if that’s your thing. Be sure to grab some bread from your neighborhood bakery and you are good to go. Or serve it a non-traditional way with rice and some vegetables
Enjoy!!!!
Bunny Chow South Africa
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken thighs or breast cut in bite-sized pieces
- 1/2 cup canola or cooking oil
- 2-3 Curry leaves
- 1 teaspoons minced ginger
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 Tablespoon curry powder or more
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 medium tomatoes diced
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 3 green cardamom pods lightly crushed
- 8 ounce or less potatoes cleaned and cut into cubes
- 1 15 ounce can chickpeas rinsed and drained
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
- 11/2 cup or more chicken broth or water
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- When ready to cook, heat up large Sauce- pan with oil, and add onions, garlic,ginger, cinnamon stick, curry leaves, cardamom pods and curry powder, stir occasionally for about 2-3 minutes until onions is translucent.
- Add tomatoes followed by chicken, stir and sauté for about 2-3 more minutes. Add chicken stock/ water if necessary to prevent any burns
- Next add chickpeas, potatoes and chicken broth , about 1 1 1/2 cup , add more as needed. Bring to a boil and let it simmer until sauce thickens, it might take about 25 minutes or more
- Adjust for salt, pepper and stew consistency.
Nutrition Information:
Ashok Taz says
This is truly awesome to eat. We make it only using vegetables as we are vegetarian. Also it’s a convenient meal/snack to make on a lazy afternoon to go with a cold beer. Definitely filling
ImmaculateBites says
Yes it is . Thanks for taking time out to share this with us.
Anita says
Hi there, going to try this but wondering if the curry leaves should be fresh or dried?
Immaculate Bites says
Hi Anita! Either works fine 🙂 Enjoy!
Dewaltd Gagiano says
Absolutely delicious!! My first time making a curry, first time making a bunny chow, and still the best bunny chow I’ve had so far. The only thing I left out was chickpeas, and I added some spring union on top.
Immaculate Bites says
Mmmm! Thank you for sharing, Dewaltd! 🙂
Darian Brett says
Nice recipe but the method forgot to mention the paprika listed in the ingredients
Immaculate Bites says
Hi Darian! You can add the paprika during sauteeing, that’s before adding the tomatoes and chicken. I hope this helps. 🙂
Sebastien Lorentz says
Yea as a South African I do find the inclusion of chickpeas, a bit questionable, Other than that it’s an interesting take on bunny chow, Definitely would not get any bunny chow like this here. Our bunny chow is a lot spicier than this, A lot bigger and uses a loaf of ’Government bread’ which is like cheap white bread, It’s normally sliced but for chow, you get it unsliced or you bake a simple quick sandwich bread. Well done!
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Sebastien!
Thanks for taking time out to share your thoughts with us.Good to know how the locals enjoy it in South Africa.
Kayla Dornan says
Hello, my name is Kayla. I have taken food preparation and nutrition for my GCSEs and I need to make two dishes from a country of my choice. I chose South Africa because a lot of my family lives there. I was wondering if you could recommend a few dishes that are high skill that could be completed in two hours. Thank you so much, I would appreciate it.
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Kayla ,
Here are a few – https://www.africanbites.com/bobotie/. https://www.africanbites.com/chakalaka/ and this https://www.africanbites.com/milk-tart/.
Good luck with your research.
david says
How do you eat it? Not sure I understand what to do with it.
ImmaculateBites says
You eat it with the bread .
Lorna Sparkes says
This is a great recipe, I first made this at the beginning of this year, since then i have made it at least a half a dozen times. It is one of our favourite dishes. I use individual tiger rolls and scoop out the middle.. I highly recommend this recipe. Thank you for sharing.
imma africanbites says
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave your feedback.
Gloria says
Just get creative and use what you have on hand. Be it a loaf of bread or bread rolls turned into mini bunny chow meals. I am sure the family will enjoy this soul food recipe and the flavours it has to offer.
ImmaculateBites says
Agree! They sure would.
Hazel says
When do you put the ginger in?
ImmaculateBites says
Together with the garlic . Recipe updated . Thanks
Shobana says
No way. Bunny chow is made with a quarter, half, or full loaf of BREAD. Hollow it out and put a gravy curry in that hollowed out section, and put the hollowed out piece on top, and with salad on the side, and maybe pickle. It isn’t a sandwich; that is why it isn’t called a sandwich.
Angee says
Is 1/2 cup of oil correct? Seems like a lot. Love your site!
ImmaculateBites says
Start with a 1/4 cup and add more , if desired .
Cassie Mavroleon says
I made this for dinner for my boyfriend and I. Let me just say we loved it. It was delicious and will definitely cook it again. Very filling but delicious!
imma africanbites says
Yaaay! That’s great to know. Thank for taking the time to let me know. Now I want to make one. 🙂
Oink says
Am sure he chowed you well afterwards
Wiseman says
Haha! Indeed
Audrey Lovibond says
Omg going to do this in the week,, sounds lovely.
imma africanbites says
Yes please. Enjoy! You’ll totally enjoy this.
kulsum says
how would you make a bread bowl
ImmaculateBites says
Do you mean a bread bowl from scratch? I usually purchase Italian bread from the market and scoop out the inside. Then fill with chickpeas.
Neli @ Delicious Meets Healthy says
This looks like such a great comfort food. I love all the spices you used – they add soo much flavor to this meal!
Nagi@RecipeTinEats says
It wil come as no surprise to you that this is totally up my alley! 🙂 My only question is this – how is it traditionally eaten?? As a sandwich – if so….logistics!!!!!???
ImmaculateBites says
Got you Nagi. It is traditionally eaten in hollowed out bread. Somewhat of large baguette divided in two and filled up to the brim. You can serve it in individual sized bread bowl.
Markus says
It was actually a product of racial segregation, in this case, “Apartheid”, which not only affected the africans in South Africa, but also indians who worked there.
They were not allowed to eat in the restaurants, so they had to find something that was mobile which they could eat outsides somewhere
The invention of the recipe itself were also from the indian community in South Africa.
But they had to cook for all the workers so the africans got the same stuff.
As indians traditionally eat with their hands it was done the following:
– bread hollowed out, but served with the bread curry bowl itself
– curry was very thick, even a bit thicker than in the pictures here – the stuff had to stick on the meat, and everything else should be not much more not to be able to soak into the bread.
So eating with hands, and accompanied by the bread that was hollowed out
Markus says
..also, traditionally, drier and thicker because the bread that was used was not such a nice bread, but only some kind of toast bread with a bit sturdier crust, but still, only a toast crust. So it really couldnt handle that it would be too much liquid.
But nowadays, where one could eat on the table, and with these great bread that can be used, it is no problem to do it otherwise.
Her recipe is great 🙂 Just wanted to add it
imma africanbites says
Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Markus. I appreciate it. Have a lovely weekend!
halima says
this is very reach
Mark, CompassandFork says
I like the bread bowl. Great looking curry.
AiPing | Curious Nut says
So so goood… No bowls to wash too!
Valentina says
This looks so cozy and comforting. Delicious!
Jenn says
I love the idea of serving a hearty curry in a bread bowl type sandwich. I would leave out the meat and just do extra chickpeas, but it looks really good!
ImmaculateBites says
Thanks Jenn!