Vegan Bunny CHOW
A vegan version of the classic South African bunny chow, featuring chickpeas and potatoes in a spiced tomato sauce, served in hollowed-out bread. This Durban-inspired dish is packed with flavor from cumin, garam masala, and fresh ginger.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 white onions finely diced
- 5 fresh root ginger peeled and grated
- 3 clove garlic minced
- 1 1/2 tbsp garam masala
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1/8 tsp chilli powder
- 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
- 2 Maris Piper potatoes peeled and cut into 2cm/¾ inch chunks
- 7/8 lbs canned chopped tomatoes
- 2 cans chickpeas/garbanzo beans drained and rinsed
- 3 tbsp strong Darjeeling tea
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp caster/granulated sugar
- 1 small mango peeled and cut into small chunks
- 7/16 lbs spinach washed and roughly chopped
- 1 bunch fresh coriander/cilantro roughly chopped
Nutrition (per serving, estimated)
Estimated based off 9 of 20 identified ingredients (per 100 g food data, scaled by amount).
Vitamins & minerals
- Calcium: 256 mg
- Iron: 5.16 mg
- Magnesium: 83.5 mg
- Phosphorus: 327 mg
- Potassium: 1002 mg
- Zinc: 3.36 mg
Let's Prepare
Collect
Gather these ingredients — no prep needed yet.
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 1/2 tbsp garam masala
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1/8 tsp chilli powder
- 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
- 7/8 lbs canned chopped tomatoes
- 3 tbsp strong Darjeeling tea
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp caster/granulated sugar
Prepare
- 2 white onions, finely diced
- 5 fresh root ginger, peeled and grated
- Mince 3 clove garlic
- 2 Maris Piper potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm/¾ inch chunks
- 2 cans chickpeas/garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 small mango, peeled and cut into small chunks
- 7/16 lbs spinach, washed and roughly chopped
- 1 bunch fresh coriander/cilantro, roughly chopped
Let's Cook
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Step 1.
Heat the vegetable oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the cumin seeds and fry until they turn brown and fragrant, about 30 seconds. Then add the bay leaves, finely diced white onions, grated ginger, and minced garlic. Fry for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and dark brown.
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Step 2.
Add the garam masala, ground cumin, and ground coriander to the pan. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until fragrant. Then add the chilli powder, ground turmeric, potato chunks, canned chopped tomatoes, drained chickpeas, Darjeeling tea, salt, and sugar. Stir to combine, bring to a gentle simmer, and cook for 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick and tangy and the potatoes are tender.
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Step 3.
Add the mango chunks to the pan and simmer gently for 5–10 minutes, until the mango softens slightly. Stir occasionally.
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Step 4.
Finish by stirring through the roughly chopped spinach and fresh coriander until the spinach wilts. Serve immediately, spooned into hollowed-out bread loaves if desired.
