Bunny chow is a Durban street food classic: a hollowed-out quarter loaf of bread filled with rich, spiced curry. It’s hearty, comforting and endlessly customizable. Make any curry you like, then scoop it into the bread and serve alongside carrot salad and cooldrink. It is one of the most satisfying meals South African Indian cuisine has to offer.

For this post, I’m using my Durban Sugar Beans Curry, but if you already have any curry ready, this will come together in minutes.

What is a Bunny Chow?

Bunny chow is a South African street food that originated in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. It consists of a hollowed out loaf of bread filled with curry. The bread that is scooped out is placed on top or on the side and is used to scoop up the curry as you eat.

While the most popular versions use chicken or mutton curry, bean bunny chow is a beloved budget friendly and vegan alternative. If you want to find out where to eat a bunny chow, check out this article here! Also, it should be eaten with your hands, no cutlery needed!

Why You’ll Love This Bean Bunny Chow

Authentic Durban flavour — this bunny chow uses a proper Durban style sugar beans curry made with Kashmiri chilli powder, fresh curry leaves and warming spices.

Budget friendly and filling — made with simple pantry ingredients, this is one of the most affordable meals you can make. In addition, it is naturally vegan and high in plant based protein.

No extra cooking needed — if you already have a curry made, all you need to do is hollow out the bread and fill it. Therefore, this is perfect for using leftover curry.

Perfect street food experience at home — bunny chow is meant to be eaten with your hands, scooping up curry with the bread. It is messy, fun, and absolutely delicious.

Great for feeding a crowd — simply make a large pot of curry and set out the bread. Everyone assembles their own bunny chow making everyone come together an enjoy a hearty meal.

Ingredients

Quarter loaf of white bread (1 per person): White bread is traditional for bunny chow. The soft, slightly dense crumb holds the curry without falling apart immediately. Use a fresh, unsliced quarter loaf for the best result. Sliced bread will not work as it cannot be hollowed out properly.

Durban sugar beans curry (serves 4 people): This is the star of the bunny chow. Use my Durban Sugar Beans Curry recipe for an authentic Durban flavour or any curry you want. The curry should be thick and rich – not watery so that it sits well inside the bread without soaking through too quickly.

Carrot salad (to serve): A simple grated carrot salad is the traditional accompaniment to bunny chow in Durban. It adds freshness and a slight sweetness that balances the spiced curry beautifully. You can use my recipe for Simple Carrot Salad for Curry & Bunny Chow.

Fresh coriander (to garnish): A handful of fresh coriander scattered over the top adds colour and a fresh herby finish.

How to Make Bean Bunny Chow

Step 1 – Make the sugar beans curry. First, prepare any curry you like. You can use my Durban sugar beans curry according to the recipe. The curry should be thick, rich and well seasoned. If using leftover curry, reheat it gently on the stove over medium-low heat, adding a splash of boiling water if it has thickened too much.

Step 2 – Make the carrot salad. Next prepare the carrot salad. Grate the carrots, dice the onion, quarter the cucumber and chop the chili into a large bowl. Stir the brown sugar, salt and lemon juice together until dissolved, pour over and toss. Taste, adjust, and let it rest while you assemble the bunny chow.

Step 3 – Hollow out the bread. Take a fresh quarter loaf of white bread. Using your fingers or a small sharp knife, cut a square opening in the top of the loaf. Then carefully pull out the soft bread inside, leaving a thick wall of bread all around. Do not remove too much, you need the walls to be sturdy enough to hold the curry. Set the scooped out bread aside. It will be used for scooping the curry.

Step 4 – Fill the bunny chow, garnish and serve. Spoon the hot curry generously into the hollowed out bread. Fill it right to the top. A good bunny chow is always overfilled. Then place the scooped out bread piece on top of the curry or leave it on the side. Finally, scatter fresh coriander over the top. Serve immediately with the carrot salad on the side.

What to Serve with Bean Bunny Chow

Carrot salad — the classic Durban accompaniment, adding freshness and crunch
Achar (Indian pickle) — a spoonful of mango or mixed achar adds a tangy, spicy kick
Cooldrink — a chilled Fanta Orange or Creme Soda, the traditional Durban way to wash it all down and cool the heat.

Tips for the Best Bean Bunny Chow

Use a fresh loaf — Use an unsliced fresh loaf with a sturdy crust. The crust holds the curry in, while the soft inside soaks up the gravy.

Don’t hollow out too much — leave a thick wall of bread all around the inside. If the walls are too thin, the curry will soak through and the bread will collapse.

Make the curry thick — a watery curry will make the bread soggy very quickly. Cook the curry until the gravy is thick and rich before filling the bread.

Serve immediately — bunny chow is best eaten straight away while the curry is hot and the bread is still holding its shape. As time passes, the bread softens and becomes harder to eat neatly.

Eat with your hands — this is not a knife and fork meal. Use the scooped out bread piece to dip into the curry and enjoy it the authentic Durban way.

Make the carrot salad ahead — the longer the carrot salad sits in the dressing, the better it tastes. Therefore, make it first before you start on the curry.

Frequently Asked Questions

Bunny chow is a South African street food that originated in Durban. It is a hollowed out loaf of bread filled with curry. It is eaten with your hands using the scooped out bread to dip into the curry. While it is most commonly made with chicken or mutton curry, bean bunny chow is a popular vegan alternative.

Traditional bunny chow uses unsliced white bread loaf – either a quarter or half depending on appetite. The soft white bread absorbs the curry beautifully and is sturdy enough to hold the filling. Sliced bread cannot be used as it cannot be hollowed out.

Absolutely. Bunny chow works with almost any thick curry. Popular options include chicken curry, mutton curry, butter bean curry and sugar beans curry. The most important thing is that the curry is thick enough to sit inside the bread without making it immediately soggy.

This bean bunny chow recipe is naturally vegan. The sugar beans curry contains no animal products and the bread used is a standard white loaf. Always check your bread label if you are strictly vegan as some breads contain milk or egg.

You can make the sugar beans curry ahead of time and reheat it when needed. However, always fill the bread just before serving. A pre-filled bunny chow will become soggy and the bread will lose its structure.

⭐ Tried this recipe? Leave a star rating and a comment below. I’d love to hear how your Bunny Chow turned out!

Prep Time 1

Cook Time 1

Total Time 2

Servings 4 people

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian, South African

A hearty Durban-style bunny chow: a hollowed-out quarter loaf filled with rich, spicy curry and served with fresh carrot salad. Easy to make and perfect for a comforting weeknight meal.

Ingredients

For the bunny chow

4 Quarter loaf of fresh white bread (unsliced)
Durban sugar beans curry (visit recipe)
Carrot salad (visit recipe)
Fresh coriander (to garnish)

Instructions

First, prepare your chosen curry. Ensure it is hot and think. You can use my Durban sugar beans curry recipe.
Make the carrot salad: by combining the grated carrots, diced onion, quartered cucumber and chopped chili in a large bowl. Stir the brown sugar, salt and lemon juice until dissolved, then pour over and toss.
Take the quarter loaf and cut a square opening in the top. Carefully hollow out the inside, leaving thick walls all around. Set the scooped out bread aside.
Spoon the hot curry generously into each hollowed out loaf, filling right to the top. Place the scooped out bread piece on top or side of the curry.
Finally, garnish with fresh coriander and serve with the carrot salad and cooldrink on the side.

Notes

Bread — use a fresh, unsliced quarter loaf of white bread.

Curry consistency — the curry must be thick before filling the bread. If it is too thin, simmer uncovered for an extra 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Carrot salad — make this first so it has time to marinate in the dressing while you prepare everything else.

Leftovers — store leftover curry in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Fill fresh bread just before serving, as an assembled bunny chow goes soggy and falls apart.