South African Bunny Chow With Butter Beans Curry
Recipe GLPR8e0b24cd0055a3
A vibrant South African street food featuring a fragrant butter bean and potato curry spiced with warm aromatics and fresh ginger, served inside hollowed bread loaves. This vegan-friendly bunny chow is aromatic, hearty, and bursting with layers of flavor from cumin, cinnamon, star anise, and fresh cilantro.
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Ingredients
2 14-oz cans butter beans, drained
2 tablespoons sunflower oil or vegetable oil
1/2 large onion, sliced thinly
1/4 teaspoon asafetida or hing (optional)
1 small cinnamon stick
1 star anise pod
2 whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 green chile, slit in half (optional)
2 medium cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
5-6 fresh or dried curry leaves
1 ripe medium tomato, chopped
2 teaspoons red curry masala
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 medium starchy potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1 handful fresh cilantro, picked and torn roughly
Salt, to taste
2 unsliced loaves white bread, using the ends as a bowl
Directions
Peel and cut the potatoes into 1-inch cubes. Soak them in cold water for 15 minutes, then drain well to remove excess starch.
Heat the sunflower oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the cinnamon stick, star anise, cloves, and cumin seeds. Toast these whole spices for about 1-2 minutes until fragrant, stirring constantly to prevent burning.
Add the thinly sliced onion to the pot and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion becomes golden and soft.
Stir in the asafetida (if using), crushed garlic, grated ginger, and curry leaves. Cook for about 1 minute until the mixture becomes fragrant and the garlic is no longer raw.
Add the chopped tomato and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the tomato begins to break down.
Sprinkle in the red curry masala, turmeric, and ground cumin. Stir well to combine and cook for 1 minute to toast the spice powders and deepen their flavor.
Add the drained butter beans and the cubed potatoes to the pot. Stir gently to coat everything with the spice mixture.
Pour in enough water (approximately 2 cups) to just cover the potatoes and beans. Add the green chile (if using) and bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.
Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pot partially, and simmer for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender and cooked through. Add more water if needed to maintain a thick, curry-like consistency (not too dry, not too soupy).
Once the potatoes are fully cooked, remove from heat. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt as needed. Stir in the torn cilantro and garam masala, mixing gently to combine.
While the curry simmers, prepare the bread bowls. Using a serrated knife, carefully hollow out the center of each unsliced bread loaf, starting from one end and cutting towards the center. Remove the bread pieces, leaving a sturdy bread bowl with walls about 1 inch thick. Save any extra bread pieces for serving alongside if desired.
Spoon the hot butter bean and potato curry generously into each bread bowl, filling to the top. Serve immediately while the curry is hot and the bread is still warm. Eat the curry with a fork or spoon, and as you eat, break off and dip the bread bowl into the curry sauce.
