Lamb Bunny Chow
A well-known South African dish featuring a rich lamb curry served inside a hollowed-out loaf of bread.
1h 20m2Servings
Nutrition
924kcal
59gProtein
56gCarbs
55gFat
Ingredients
LAMB CURRY
Mutton or Lamb Pieces
500 g
Vegetable Oil
3 tbsp
Onion
1 whole
Tomatoes
2 whole
Green Chilies
3 whole
Crushed Ginger & Garlic or Ginger & Garlic Paste
2 tsp
Potatoes
2 whole
Bay Leaves
2 whole
Cinnamon Stick
1 whole
Star Aniseeds
2 whole
Cumin (Jeera) Seeds
½ tsp
Fennel (Soomph) Seeds
½ tsp
Red Chili Flakes
2 tsp
Cardamom (Elachie) Powder
1 tsp
Garam Masala
1½ tsp
Cumin (Jeera) Powder
½ tsp
Coriander (Dhania) Powder
1½ tsp
Chili Powder or Masala
4 tbsp
Turmeric Powder
1 tsp
Salt
To taste
to taste
Curry Leaves
1 sprig
Thyme
1 sprig
Freshly Chopped Coriander (Dhania)
¼ cup
Boiling Water
as needed
1 cup
BREAD BOWL
Unsliced Bread
0.5 loaf
Fresh Coriander (Dhania) for garnishing
for garnishing
1 pinch
Instructions
1Prepare the Curry Ingredients
15m
15mPrepare Lamb
Cut the lamb or mutton into pieces. Rinse and set aside.
Chop Onion
Peel and chop the onion.
Prepare Chilies
Rinse and slit the green chilies.
Prepare Tomatoes
Rinse tomatoes, slice into quarters, removing stems. Blend until liquidized, or chop finely if no blender is available.
Prepare Potatoes
Peel and rinse potatoes. Cut into quarters and set aside in a bowl of water to prevent oxidation.
Grate Potato
Take one quarter of the potato and grate it into a separate bowl. This will be used later to thicken the gravy.
2Sauté Aromatics and Spices
15m
15mSauté Onions
Heat vegetable oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Add onions, green chilies, and thyme. Sauté until onions are translucent.
Add Whole Spices
Add bay leaves, star aniseeds, cinnamon stick, fennel seeds, and cumin seeds. Mix and sauté with the onions.
Add Ground Spices
Once onions are translucent, add turmeric powder, red chili flakes, chili powder or masala, garam masala, coriander powder, cumin powder, cardamom powder, and ginger & garlic paste. Mix well until spices are combined.
3Cook the Lamb
35m
35mSear Lamb
Add the lamb or mutton pieces and salt to taste. Mix well, ensuring the meat is coated in the spices. Cover with a lid and allow to seal for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Avoid adding water at this stage.
Add Tomatoes and Herbs
After 10 minutes, stir the meat. Add the blended tomatoes, curry leaves, freshly chopped coriander, and the grated potato. Add a little boiling water and mix well until combined.
Simmer Curry
Cover with a lid and cook for 25 minutes, adding water if needed. After 25 minutes, stir the curry. Add the quartered potatoes (discarding the water they were in). Pour in a little boiling water and stir.
Cook Potatoes
Turn the heat down to medium-low. Cover with a lid and cook until the potatoes are soft.
4Prepare Bread Bowls
10m
10mCut Bread
Cut the unsliced loaf in half. Flip the halves so the inside is on top.
Hollow Bread
Use a knife to cut a square into the bread to hollow it out, being careful not to cut all the way through. Gently remove the cut-out bread pieces with your fingers.
Plate Bread
Place the hollowed-out bread halves onto serving plates.
5Assemble and Serve
5m
5mFill Bread Bowls
Spoon the lamb/mutton curry into the hollowed-out bread bowls.
Garnish and Serve
Garnish with fresh coriander. Serve immediately to prevent the bread from becoming soggy. It is recommended to serve with carrot salad.
Tips
Blending the tomatoes helps create a quicker-cooking curry with more gravy.
Grating a portion of the potato and adding it to the curry helps to thicken the sauce naturally.
Serve immediately after filling the bread bowls to maintain the bread's texture.