Vegetarian Bunny Chow

An iconic South African dish, Bunny chow is steeped in legend. Both historically important and one close to my heart, it is a dish that I pay homage to. A Durban style curry served in a carved-out loaf of white bread, Bunny Chow was a middle finger to the apartheid regime in which the sale of food and mixing of races in public was strictly prohibited. To combat this, many curry shops defied these laws, selling to everyone out of their back doors by stuffing bread with a serving of curry. The bread becoming the main vehicle and utensil for eating the curry. Cut to 2020, ordering a ‘bunny’ is a rite of passage when you visit South Africa. The recipe that I’m sharing today is a mix of my cousin’s family recipe and one from a 100-year-old curry shop in Durban - Patel’s Vegetarian Refreshment Room.

Serves: 4-6

Cooks in: 45 min

INGREDIENTS

• ½ cup veggie oil

• A small handful of dried curry leaves

• 1 large onion sliced thinly (more onion = more gravy)

• 3 tbsp pure chilli powder

• ½ tbsp Tumeric

• 2 tbsp garam masala

• 2 tbsp coriander seed

• 3 tbsp ginger and garlic paste (chop both until a fine paste)

• Pinch of ground fennel seed, mustard seed & cumin

• Salt to taste

• Bunch of chopped cilantro

• 1 can of tomatoes, diced or 4 Roma tomatoes grated

• 3-4 potatoes, peeled and cubed

• 1 can of lentils, rinsed

• 1 litre of water or stock

• 1 loaf of white bread cut into two halves, insides removed.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Get all your spices ready. Grind the fennel, mustard, and cumin seed together in a mortar and pestle and set aside.

2. Pour veggie oil in a heavy-bottomed pan, enough to cover and leave on high heat.

3. Chuck in curry leaves, and sizzle till fragrant.

4. Add sliced onions in the hot oil.

5. Stir and fry until browned, then take off the heat.

6. Add chilli powder, turmeric, garam masala, coriander seed, garlic and ginger. Stir and make a paste, and fry until fragrant on medium heat.

7. Add fennel, mustard seed, cumin, and a pinch of salt.

8. Add potatoes, cover with oil and spices.

9. Add the tomatoes and let this simmer for a minute.

10. Add in the lentils and some water, simmer with the lid on until the lentils are soft.

11. Salt to taste.

12. The curry is ready when the gravy is thick and not too wet.

13. Spoon into the loaves of bread and serve with a dollop of chutney. My fav is Mrs. H.S. Ball's chutney. Just saying.