How to Make Bunny Chow at Home: Step-by-Step Guide

 A hollowed-out loaf, a deeply spiced curry, and no cutlery in sight — Durban's most famous street food, made in your own kitchen.

By K.B. Shivuri · The Seasoned HearthPrep: 15 minCook: 40 minServes: 4

Few dishes are as gloriously unfussy as bunny chow. There is no plate, no fork, no ceremony — just a quarter of a white bread loaf, hollowed out and packed to the brim with steaming curry. You tear off the soft bread, scoop up the gravy with your hands, and eat until you are thoroughly, happily defeated. It is street food at its most honest, and it belongs to Durban.

Born in the city's Indian community, the "bunny" was a clever, portable way to carry a hot curry lunch — the bread is both the bowl and the spoon. The classic and original filling is a humble bean curry, and that is exactly what we are making today: affordable, hearty, and full of warm Durban spice. Let me walk you through it step by step.

Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

40 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

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A Little History of the Bunny

The name has nothing to do with rabbits. The most widely told story traces "bunny" to the Indian merchant community known as banias, who are said to have served curry in bread to workers who had no crockery. The hollowed loaf travelled well, kept the curry hot, and needed nothing but two hands. From those practical beginnings, the bunny chow became a Durban icon and a proud symbol of South Africa's Indian heritage.

Today you will find quarter and half "bunnies" filled with beans, mutton, chicken or even prawns. But the soul of the dish is the same: good bread and a curry with real depth.

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What You Will Need

For the Bean Curry

• Cooking oil2 tbsp
• Large onion, finely chopped1
• Garlic cloves, crushed3
• Ginger, grated1 thumb
• Cinnamon stick1
• Curry leaves (optional)1 sprig
• Medium curry powder or Durban masala2 tbsp
• Turmeric1 tsp
• Ground cumin1 tsp
• Tomatoes, grated2
• Medium potatoes, cubed2
• Tins butter or sugar beans, drained2
• Water1 cup
• Saltto taste
• Fresh coriander, to servehandful

For Serving

• Unsliced white bread loaves, quartered2

Bread mattersUse a fresh, square, unsliced white loaf — the soft, fluffy kind. It needs to hold its shape when hollowed and soak up the gravy without falling apart. A crusty artisan loaf is the wrong tool for a bunny.

How to Make Bunny Chow — Step by Step

Step 1 — Build the masala base

1. 1
   Heat the oil and fry the onion until deeply golden. Add the garlic, ginger, cinnamon stick and curry leaves, and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
2. 2
   Stir in the curry powder, turmeric and cumin and cook for 30 seconds — keep it moving so the spices toast but do not burn.
3. 3
   Add the grated tomato and cook down for about 5 minutes, until it forms a thick, glossy masala base with the oil just beginning to separate.

Step 2 — Simmer the curry

1. 4
   Add the cubed potatoes and water. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are nearly tender.
2. 5
   Stir in the drained beans and simmer for a further 10 minutes, until thick and rich. Season with salt and stir through the fresh coriander.

Step 3 — Build the bunny

1. 6
   Cut each loaf into quarters. Hollow out the soft centre of each quarter, keeping the bread you remove — this is the "virgin".
2. 7
   Fill each hollow generously with the hot curry, then perch the virgin bread on top. Serve straight away, with the gravy soaking into the bread.

The Seasoned Hearth tip — make it your ownSwap the beans for browned mutton or chicken pieces for a meaty bunny — just simmer the meat in the masala until tender (longer for mutton) before the potatoes go in. The base recipe stays exactly the same.

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What to Serve with Bunny Chow

• Carrot sambal — grated carrot with a little chilli, lemon and salt to cut the richness.
• Sliced onion and tomato — a simple, cooling side that is part of the tradition.
• A wedge of lemon — a squeeze over the top lifts the whole dish.
• Extra bread — for mopping up every last bit of gravy.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why is it called bunny chow?

It has nothing to do with rabbits. The name is widely linked to the bania merchant community of Durban who served curry in bread, with "chow" simply meaning food. The hollow loaf was a portable way to carry a hot lunch.

What kind of bread should I use?

A fresh, square, unsliced white loaf — soft and fluffy. It holds its shape when hollowed and soaks up the gravy beautifully. Avoid crusty or seeded loaves.

Can I make it less spicy?

Yes. Use a mild curry powder and leave out any extra chilli. The dish will still be fragrant and full of flavour from the cumin, turmeric and cinnamon, just without the heat.

Can I make a mutton or chicken bunny?

Absolutely. Brown the meat in the masala and simmer until tender (about 1.5 hours for mutton, 30 minutes for chicken) before adding the potatoes. Everything else stays the same.

Get Your Hands Dirty

Bunny chow was never meant to be neat. Hollow out that loaf, fill it to overflowing, and dig in with your hands — it is one of the most satisfying, soulful ways to eat curry there is.

— K.B. Shivuri, The Seasoned Hearth