Vegetable Bunny Chow

South African vegetable bunny chow with a fragrant bean-and-vegetable curry served inside hollowed bread loaves.

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Bunny chow originated in Durban; the bread is not just a container but part of the meal, soaking up the curry sauce.

Ingredients

• 2 small unsliced bread loaves (halved)
• 2 tbsp neutral oil
• 1 onion (diced)
• 3 garlic cloves (minced)
• 15 g fresh ginger (grated)
• 2 tbsp curry powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 400 g chopped tomatoes
• 400 g potatoes (cubed)
• 2 carrots (sliced)
• 300 g cooked chickpeas
• 500 ml vegetable stock
• 120 g green beans (cut into pieces)
• 20 g fresh coriander (chopped)
• 1 tsp salt

Step-by-step method

1. Heat the oil in a saucepan and cook the onion for 6 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, curry powder and cumin and stir for 30 seconds.
2. Add the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes until slightly reduced.
3. Add the potatoes, carrots, chickpeas and stock. Bring to a gentle boil, cover partially and simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Add the green beans and cook uncovered for another 8–10 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the curry is thick enough to sit inside bread without immediately leaking.
5. Taste for salt and stir in most of the coriander.
6. Cut each bread half to make four portions. Hollow out the centres, keeping the removed bread pieces as lids or for dipping.
7. Spoon the hot curry generously into the bread cavities, finish with coriander and serve immediately.