straight from south africa......making bunny chow today

a reply to: Kandinsky

ok so the recipe. its not really a recipe. more a list of ingredients and instructions.
3lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
6-8 medium potatoes(cubed and peeled)
2 medium sized onions(minced)
a garlic clove or a few tablespoons of minced garlic
curry powder
14 oz can 'chilli ready tomatoes' (i say get the chilli ready type because it is crushed tomatoes with some onions and spices already in it. i used a can he brought me from durban with curry spices in it but we probably wont find that here. im sure you could use 14 oz fresh tomatoes just as easy)
3 curry cubes(again, i doubt most will be able to find this. i suppose you could use beef boullion or chicken boullion, depending on what type of bunny you are making. this will give it flavor but not the same amount of kick. you could probably not use the cubes at all and make up for it with curry and some nice sea salt or something like that.)
loaves of white bread, UNsliced.



first let me say that this is going to be low heat with no lid the entire time. i have a gas stove and i turn the dial to 3 the whole time.

ok. thin layer of oil in the pan. toss in the onions and the 3 curry cubes. saute' the onions until they are soft.

add the chicken. the whole thigh, not cut or cubed or anything. stir it up so all the chicken is mixed up.
keep it on low and stir every 5 minutes or so until the chicken is white.
once the chicken has turned white add the potatoes and stir. then add the 14 oz of canned or fresh tomatoes. stir that.
now add a heaping tablespoon of curry for every 1lb of meat AND veggies.
stir
now keep the heat on low and stir every 5-7 minutes because you dont want it to burn.
there will be a lot of juices at this point but as it cooks it will thicken up.
1.5-2 hours later and you are good to go.

now to serve it up cut the loaf in half(or you can quarter each end for smaller portions). hollow out the center to make a bowl. fill it with the curry stew. thats it.

rip chunks off of the piece of bread from the center and use that to grab some of the stew and slide it on down the eating hole.
as you eat you can tear bread from the sides and eat it like that.

thats all there is to it

a reply to: Kandinsky

Yes, a baguette like a french loaf works amazingly as they are easy to cut the soft bread from the harder crust or you can use finger buns but they are usually a bit soft. As for recipes, you could literally stuff anything you want in. I usually make stuffed naan breads for parties, I've also applied the same style to yorkshire puddings too.

Yorkshire pudding mini meals really are great, a small pudding filled with veg you'd put in a roast (mushrooms work too) meat if you wish and have warm gravy on standby. They are great for party food as you can prep them ages in advance and as they are so small the gravy will reheat everything pretty fast.

OP, great thread and great food. Here is a tip or 2 with making curry. If using dry spices make a paste with oil or water, it will help stop the spices from burning and also it's usually best to work down the chain of cooking times, fry meat then onions then veg etc ( I usually seal meat with spices). You seem to like your curry thick, the best way to achieve this without thickening agents is to make sure you cook the spices (especially if dry) a chef I know fries the spices on a wok under a pan lid with a splash of water.

You seem to be doing pretty good I do love a good curry.

a reply to: TinySickTears

I know a few people who make good curries, I could get a few recipes for you and I have a few myself.

For instance if you like nuts and fruit and a sweet curry I have a great Kashmiri naan recipe that works great with a curry like a Korma, I can think of a few good mixes that could be done with different bread types such as sweet bread. Butter chicken curry with wholemeal bread.

That's what I love about curries, the possibilities are endless.

If anyone wants the full experience of this, I found an online store that lists the same brand as the can in the OP's first pick. They have a couple different tomato products listed on the page.

Are either of these the ones you had, OP?

This is the spice page. OP'll have to tell us if any of these are matches for our authentic experience.

This looks good enough that I am obviously thinking about trying to con my husband into importing the right stuff for it.

a reply to: ketsuko

A lot of those are sold here in the UK too or are British. I must say a lot of it seems grossly over-priced.

Make them from scratch, a damn sight cheaper and tastier. Honestly, buy the raw ingredients such as cumin, tumeric and coriander seeds. With a decent spice rack you can make pretty much any curry, plus you can make anything such as pakoras or bhajis... No need to stick regionally either, I make a lot of Cajun food in the summer using a spice rack primarily stocked for curry.

If you do order from their you should get a Bombay Badboy But don't if you don't like too much heat.

a reply to: ketsuko

awesome.

this is the can of diced tomatoes with curry spice.

www.africanhut.com...

i don't see the cubes i used but this might be a good sub?

www.africanhut.com...

these are the exact cubes i used. he brought it with him from durban and said that he uses this no matter if he is making mutton, chicken, or veggie.

www.knorrox.co.za...

so that is all of it right there. that second link i said might be a good sub is what you can use when you add the curry. 1 heaping tablespoon of that for every 1lb of meat and veggies.
use those cubes and that can of # and your bunny chow is going to be banging.

i agree with ray too. you can make your own with good spices. i would either buy the # from that link or make your own. whatever you do, do not use that pre mixed curry crap that is in the spice aisle at your local store.
its #.

I live in the town next to Durban where the bunny was supposedly invented.
We eat the whole meal with one hand. Traditionally the right. I use my left as I'm ambidextrous in most things.
It's a life changer. I eat a bunny once a week.

originally posted by: snowbeast
I live in the town next to Durban where the bunny was supposedly invented.
We eat the whole meal with one hand. Traditionally the right. I use my left as I'm ambidextrous in most things.
It's a life changer. I eat a bunny once a week.

the dude i am going to stay with eats bunny once a week too.
i will be there end of january. anything in and around durban you think would be cool to check out?
i am not going to have loads of time. only going to be on the ground like 6 days.
pretty sure we staying in the drakensburg mountains for a night. i really want to see the victoria street market.
other than that all i want to do is eat bunny and relax on the continent.

a reply to: TinySickTears

Another South African here, though not from Durbs (as we locals call it), I'm In Johannesburg, so I can't really give too much advice about Durban itself, BUT if you're going to be in the Drakensberg area, is the Tugela Falls, and the Hiking trails there. The views are absolutely stunning! Just remember to back a Bunny for lunch!

Back on the topic of Bunnies though, when you're this side, make sure to grab some Rajah Curry powder. It's found in all local Supermarkets and comes in several different varieties. For the perfect Bunny, it's what most of us non-experts turn to to add some zing to our "boere-kerries"

Lastly, while you're in Durban, ask your buddy to take you for a real Durban Bunny. There's no better dining experience, and for cheap; Likely under US$3.00 for a half-bunny.

Enjoy!

Durbs is awesome!!!
Things to do are:

Ushaka Marine World - beautiful aquarium and a whole beach vibe around it - look out for Moyos on the pier.

Ask your mate to take you to johnnys rotis in the middle of Durban. They are huge.

A good supper option is house of curries on Florida road, it has a massive vibe, you can buy beer in 750ml quarts and enjoy a well made bunny and soak up the vibe.

Look for Unity bar in Silverstone road. They have a massive selection of craft beers and the food is amazing.

Umhlanga is a town next door, it gets very vibey after dark.

The beaches are great to swim in (before you go to Ushaka or you might get put off with the sharks)

At Ushaka there is a spice shop with the locals homemade spice blends. The staff love talking cooking.

Where in the berg are you heading? I grew up in the central berg and am moving back in December.

Pop me a pm with your email addy and I'll send you some links.

SA is awesome! People are friendly, just be careful with flashing cash and expensive items.

What are your hobbies? Might be able to point you further in the right direction.

a reply to: snowbeast

all i know is his address is on rossview rd, sea view.
from his back yard if he takes a pic i can see over the trees to the ater. he said vitoria street market is about 10 minutes from his house.

my only hobby is playing music. honestly i am not going to be there long enough to do much. i am not looking for beaches and bars....you know
i have been wound so tight lately i just want to get away.
he sends me pics all the time of amazing looking food and that is basically what i want to do is eat. i want to sit in his backyard and relax and eat. talk to his buddies. i want to get a perspective of how # is for the people that live there.
he is hell bent on drakensburg so i am going to go.

i want to go to the market because it is the closest thing to a bazaar i will find and i want to bring back # for people at work.

i dont know if i will be able to but what i really want to do is rent a couple of motorcycles and ride up the coast...something like that.

of course i am going to get legit bunny

a reply to: Havoc40k

unfortunately the only thing i will see of joburg is the airport. i just am not going to have the time.
if this works out i might make it a yearly trip.
if i go in july of 2017 i will have 2 weeks of vacation so that will help. i used half my vacation time this year before i had the trip planned so about 25 hours of my vacation will be unpaid and that always stings. part of the reason for the short stay.

a reply to: TinySickTears
You won't be disappointed by the berg.
I'm moving to the berg in December. Going for the lifestyle.
Have a proper south African braai and chill when you are out here.

originally posted by: snowbeast
a reply to: TinySickTears
You won't be disappointed by the berg.
I'm moving to the berg in December. Going for the lifestyle.
Have a proper south African braai and chill when you are out here.

thats the plan. braii every day with my boet.
have to get away from the lightie for a while.

working on my afrikaans

a reply to: TinySickTears

Enjoy your time here. Maybe learn a couple Zulu words too.
Sawubona - hello (I see you)
Unjani - how are you?
Kulungile (lungile) - I am fine thank you
Uphi (oo pee) - where is? Eg: Uyapi Victoria market?
Wena - you
Mena (mee na) me

Some slang
Lekker - good/cool/great
Braai - bbq
Ja - yes
Now now - shortly
Robot - traffic light

I think of more to make your everyday life a bit easier.
Majority of us are so chilled an will help a visitor out in their own language just to make your stay enjoyable.
Crime is high, we just lock doors, don't walk in unknown areas after dark and be vigilant.
It's not as bad as the media portrays it.

the first place i am going to stop in durban is a place called govenders. my buddy said that is the best place to go for bunny.

he said a quarter mutton bunny is $4.i am going to get this one