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A classic South African Bunny Chow With Butter Beans, served with lots of gravy and a side of vegetable pickle.
Bunny chow, often referred to simply as a bunny, is a South African fast food dish consisting of a hollowed-out loaf of white bread filled with curry. It originated among Indian South Africans of Durban
The dish has its origins in Durban, South Africa’s third-largest city. “It’s not known by Indian communities outside of South Africa,” There are only a handful of places in the U.S. where you can order bunny chow.
What does Bunny Chow consist of?
Bunny chow is essentially a kind of bread bowl. You take a loaf of white bread, hollow out the middle and fill it with a curry, either vegetarian beans or some type of meat. But not a rabbit. The name “bunny” comes from the corruption of an Indian term referring to merchants.
Bunny chow, often referred to simply as a bunny, is a South African fast food dish consisting of a hollowed-out loaf of white bread filled with curry. It originated among Indian South Africans of Durban.

Bunny Chow With Butter Beans
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Additional Time: 0 hours
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 healthy servings 1x
- Category: Everyday Cooking
- Cuisine: South African
Description
A classic South African beans bunny served with lots of gravy and a side of vegetable pickle.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Butter Beans (soaked overnight) or
- 2 Cans Butter Beans
- 1 onion (chopped)
- 1 Tomato (chopped)
- 2-3 Curry Leaves
- 1 Teaspoon Ground Ginger & Garlic
- 1/2 tsp. Coriander Powder
- 1/2 tsp. Cumin Powder
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 1/2 tsp. Turmeric Powder
- Chili Powder/Masala (for your heat level)
- Salt to taste
- 2 Potatoes (quartered)
- Oil
Instructions
- Boil the beans in plain water till fork tender (retain the water).
- Heat oil in a large pot.
- Cook onion till soft.
- hen add in garlic, ginger, tomato, bay leaves, curry leaves, chili, and turmeric powder.
- Allow it to cook together for a few minutes.
- Pour in half a cup of retained water, and add in the potatoes and salt.
- Allow this to cook until the potatoes are tender (add more water if needed).
- Once tender, add in the beans and some more water (enough for a gravy) to allow it to simmer on low heat until it has thickened.
- Enjoy!!
Notes
Prepared, tried, and tested Rochelle from The Recipe Hunter: Tried and Tested Recipes from Home Chefs and SA Tasty Recipes- Saffas Daily Recipes
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 651
- Sugar: 6
- Sodium: 544
- Fat: 50
- Saturated Fat: 30
- Unsaturated Fat: 17
- Trans Fat: 2
- Carbohydrates: 43
- Fiber: 10
- Protein: 11
- Cholesterol: 122
Keywords: Bunny Chow With Butter Beans
What Amazon
has to offer
A lima bean, also commonly known as the butter bean, sieva bean, double bean, Madagascar bean, chad bean, or wax bean is a legume grown for its edible seeds or beans.
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