Bunny chow is a popular Durban street food that’s essentially a giant loaf of bread or baguette hollowed out and stuffed with some kind of curry. It’s like a hand-held chili bread bowl, and the ultimate comfort food. And the great thing about bunny chow (which has nothing to do with rabbits) is its versatility — once you try it, you can imagine myriad other things to fill it with. In fact, more and more eateries are experimenting with unconventional fillings, and you can too. Here are 15 delicious ways to stuff bunny chow.
This article originally appeared on AFKInsider.com.
1. Vegetable Curry Bunny Chow
If you’re not a meat eater, the garbanzo beans in this recipe can add the chunky texture that meat normally would, and the bread tastes delicious when it sops up the sweet-and-spicy curry. The curry is filled with great vegetables like cabbage, butter beans, eggplant, potatoes and green beans.
2. Hot Dogs & Bunny Chow
This recipe is classic example of southern African fusion. Instead of the traditional bread loaf, it uses a big corn bread muffin and stuffs it with chorizo and a spicy sauce made of yellow mustard, chili powder, cayenne pepper, and tomato chutney to moisten everything. It’s served with with sliced and grilled hot dogs on the side.
3. Chicken Curry Bunny Chow
This recipe is perfect for the summer, or when you’re craving a bunny stuffed with something lighter than red meat. We love that the chicken is left in large chunks, and the unique ingredients such as sunflower oil make everything slightly sweet, while the Greek yogurt makes the curry slightly creamy.
4. Turkey Bunny Chow
Need creative ways to use leftover turkey lying around? Cut it up in cubes, smother it in a creamy, zesty ginger-masala sauce, and stuff it in a hefty, rustic loaf of bread, like this recipe. Yum.
5. Beanie Bunny Recipe
Need a fun way to serve your dinner rolls? These mini bunny chows are cocktail-sized bread rolls stuffed with a sweet chili-type filling of white beans, pineapple or mango chutney, coconut, carrots, and apples.
6. Peanut Cabbage and Sadza Bunny Chow
This bunny chow offers an interesting flavor combination that is sure to activate your taste buds. The peanut butter, lamb, and sadza are married in an awesome spice mix with South African curry powder, cardamom, cinnamon, and many more. It’s a delicious and dynamic flavor, and tastes great with hearty bread.
7. Short Rib Bunny Chow
Tender, smoky short ribs and rustic, fluffy-but-flaky chunks of bread are a natural duo. So a bunny chow stuffed with a spicy-jalapeno Worcestershire sauce-smothered short rib is simply perfection.
8. Chakalaka and Sardine Bunny Chow
Chakalaka is a delicious hot-and-spicy sauce, and with creamy white beans, it tastes delicious with salty sardines. You might want to try this great recipe with a sourdough loaf.
9. French Fries and Cheese Bunny Chow
If you’re having an I-eat-what-I-want-type of a day, whip yourself up this quick bunny chow: a hollowed-out loaf of bread stuffed with giant steak-cut fries, topped with sliced cheese and a chunk of pepperoni. A recipe isn’t needed for this one; just throw it together, eat, then take a nap — you’ll need it.
10. Seafood Bunny Chow
We can’t track down the exact recipe for this masterpiece, but it had to be included to round out the list. What we do know know is that it uses a creamy mushroom sauce as a base, and of course includes tons of seafood. We’re guessing if you mixed some clam chowder with sautéed mushrooms and steamed oysters, you’d get something pretty close.
11. Prawn Curry Bunny Chow
Any type of curry makes for an exceptional bunny chow, but why not add a gourmet twist by using prawns? This recipe uses a spice sachet, but you could adapt the recipe and use your own curry spices.
12. Lamb and Potato Bunny Chow
Here’s another take on the curry which fills the roll: lamb and potato, which is fairly authentic. You may wish to adjust the spices on this recipe, as the amounts are for a spicy curry.
13. French Bunny Chow
This is a wildly different variation on a traditional bunny chow. Instead of using bread, the chef has opted to make it a bit more posh by using puff pastry in the form of a vol au vent. And instead of the requisite curry, they have elected to use a French-style meat stew. The result is something quite different, but still in the bunny chow tradition.
14. Durban Curry Bunny Chow
This old-school recipe is thought originally to come from the Depression era, when the curry was normally made with beans. This version includes meat, but still evokes the original spicy curry from the streets of Durban.
15. Mini Cocktail Bunny Chow
Proving that bunny chow can come in all sizes, why not try this cocktail-sized version? This recipe is ideal for beginners and is simple to make. It’s also vegetarian, and uses chickpeas for protein.
Related content on AFKTravel:
The Quirky and Unique Foods of South Africa
The Best Curry Restaurants In Durban
10 Places To Get Sensational Seafood In Durban
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