Durban Beef Bunny Chow in a Hollowed White Loaf

By AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-10-07 · Updated 2026-10-07

A fiery Durban-style beef and potato curry ladled into hollowed quarter loaves of white bread. The scooped-out bread is served on top for mopping up the gravy. This South African-inspired beef recipe, ready in about 135 minutes, pairs beef chuck, cut into 2 cm cubes, unsliced white sandwich loaves, potatoes, peeled and cubed for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 720 calories and feeds 6, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 900 g beef chuck, cut into 2 cm cubes
• 2 unsliced white sandwich loaves
• 3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 2 onions, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
• 2 green chilies, slit
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 cardamom pods
• 10 curry leaves
• 3 tbsp Durban masala or hot curry powder
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 400 g can crushed tomatoes
• 500 ml water or beef stock
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup fresh coriander, chopped

Instructions

1. Step 1: Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Fry the cinnamon, cardamom and curry leaves for 30 seconds.
2. Step 2: Add the onions and cook for 10 minutes, until golden. Stir in the garlic, ginger and chilies and cook for 1 minute.
3. Step 3: Add the masala and turmeric with a splash of water and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
4. Step 4: Add the beef and stir to coat. Cook for 5 minutes, then add the tomatoes, stock and salt. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer gently for 1 hour 15 minutes.
5. Step 5: Add the potatoes and simmer, partly covered, for 25–30 minutes, until the beef is tender and the gravy has thickened. Stir in the coriander.
6. Step 6: Cut each loaf into 2 or 3 thick sections. Hollow out each section, leaving a 1.5 cm wall and base, and keep the scooped-out bread.
7. Step 7: Ladle the curry into the bread shells and set the removed bread on top. Serve with grated carrot and chili salad (sambals).