Bunny Chow (Durban Curry-Filled Bread)

Name: Bunny Chow (Durban Curry-Filled Bread)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: South Africa
Ingredients: 2 lb lamb or chicken, cubed; 2 onions, chopped; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tbsp grated ginger; 3 tbsp Durban curry powder; 2 tomatoes, chopped; 2 potatoes, cubed; 2 cups water or stock; 2 small unsliced white bread loaves; Oil, for cooking

Bunny Chow (Durban Curry-Filled Bread) photo 1

4 servings20 min prep45 min cookMedium South Africa

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The Story Behind It

The Tale of Bunny Chow (Durban Curry-Filled Bread)

Story updated September 17, 2026

Bunny chow, a hollowed loaf of bread filled with curry, emerged among Durban's Indian community, with its creation usually dated to the 1940s. Its exact origin is disputed—theories range from apartheid-era takeout workarounds to hungry golf caddies—but most agree the name comes from "bania," the trading caste of many Indian curry vendors, combined with "chow," meaning food.

Ingredients

Scale:· 4 servings

2 lb lamb or chicken, cubed
2 onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp grated ginger
3 tbsp Durban curry powder
2 tomatoes, chopped
2 potatoes, cubed
2 cups water or stock
2 small unsliced white bread loaves
Oil, for cooking

Instructions

1Heat oil and fry onions until golden, then add garlic and ginger and cook 2 minutes.
2Stir in curry powder and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
3Add the meat and brown on all sides.
4Add tomatoes and cook until they break down, then add potatoes and water.
5Cover and simmer 35-40 minutes until the meat is tender and the curry has thickened.
6Cut each bread loaf in half and hollow out a portion of the center, reserving the removed bread.
7Ladle the hot curry into the bread cavities and serve with the reserved bread for scooping.

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