Bunny chow with bean curry and carrot salad

"Bunnies" were created in Durban, South Africa in the 1940s and remain a popular takeaway snack. They are often served in blank newsprint paper; similar to fish and chips. Remember to soak the beans overnight and prepare to get your hands dirty!

Credit: Christopher Ireland

• serves

  6

• prep

  30 minutes

• cook

  1:15 hour

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 400 g (2 cups) dried borlotti beans, rinsed, soaked overnight
• 125 ml (½ cup) vegetable oil
• 3 large onions, chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 cm piece ginger, finely grated
• 5 long green chillies (optional), chopped
• 6 fresh curry leaves
• 4 tbsp (⅓ cup) curry powder
• 3 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
• 1 cinnamon quill
• 2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 5 tomatoes, finely chopped
• 2 loaves of unsliced white bread
• 1 bunch coriander, leaves and stems chopped

Carrot salad

• 2 carrots, peeled, grated
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 tomato, finely chopped
• ¼ bunch coriander, chopped,
• 2 long green chillies (optional), finely chopped
• 1 tbsp white vinegar

Soaking time overnight

Instructions

Rinse soaked beans under running water. Place in a large saucepan with 2 litres water and 1 tsp salt. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat to low–medium and simmer for 30 minutes or until tender. Drain.

Heat oil in a saucepan over high heat. Cook onions for 4 minutes or until golden. Stir in garlic, ginger, chillies (if using), curry leaves, curry powder and all the spices, and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add cooked beans, tomatoes and 250 ml water, reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 25 minutes or until slightly thickened.

Meanwhile, to make carrot salad, combine all ingredients in a bowl, season with salt and pepper, and toss gently to combine. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

Cut each loaf of bread into 3. Using a metal spoon, hollow out each piece, removing bread in one large piece and leaving base intact to make a shell; be sure to leave enough in the base to hold the curry. Reserve removed bread.

Stir coriander and 1 tsp salt into curry. Remove and discard cardamom pods and cinnamon quill. Fill bread shells with curry and top with salad and reserved bread to serve.

Photography by Christopher Ireland.

As seen in Feast magazine, Jan 2012, Issue 5. 

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.