SOUTH AFRICAN BUNNY CHOW

This is my vegetarian version of South Africa’s popular dish. Originally from Durban, culinary legend maintains it grew out of the need for cheap food during the Great Depression. Indian South Africans were known as ‘banias’ and the name of Chinese stir-fries always had ‘chow’ at the end, so this dish was first known as Bania Chow, which became Bunny Chow.

Serves 4

● 75g (2¾oz) dried soya mince, or 250g (9oz) rehydrated soya mince

● 3tbsp sunflower oil

● 2.5cm piece of cinnamon bark

● 2 green cardamom pods, bruised

● 1 bay leaf

● 1 star anise

● ½tsp each cumin and fennel seeds

● 1 onion, finely chopped

● 1 garlic clove, finely chopped

● 1tbsp South African Curry Powder (see panel p23)

● 400g tin kidney beans (or to use dried beans, see tip at end)

● 400g tin chickpeas (or to use dried chickpeas, see tip at end)

● 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes

● 200ml (7fl oz) water

● 2.5cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped

● 10-12 fresh curry leaves

● Sea salt

● 2tbsp chopped coriander leaves

● 2tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice

● 2 small unsliced loaves of bread, cut in half horizontally, most of the insides removed

If using dried soya mince, rehydrate it first: cover in freshly boiled water and soak for 15 minutes until tender. Drain and rinse in cold water.

Heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium-high heat. Add the cinnamon bark, cardamom pods, bay leaf and star anise and fry, stirring, until aromatic. Add the cumin and fennel seeds and stir until they crackle. Add the onion and garlic and stir until translucent. Add the curry powder and stir for 30 seconds. Add the soya mince and stir for 4 minutes until it loses its raw appearance. Stir in the kidney beans and chickpeas, tomatoes, water, ginger and curry leaves with salt to taste. Boil, then reduce the heat.

Simmer for 10 minutes until the sauce has thickened and the beans are tender. Stir in the coriander and lime juice. Spoon into the hollowed bread and serve.

TIP: If using dried pulses, you need to soak and cook them before adding to the recipe at the same point you add the tinned versions. For the beans, rinse 200g dried kidney beans, cover with cold water and soak overnight. To cook, drain them, place in a pan and add salted water to cover. Boil for 10 minutes, skim the surface. Add 1 green chilli, split lengthwise, and a 2.5cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 50 minutes until tender, then drain. For the chickpeas, rinse 200g split dried brown chickpeas (channa daal), cover with cold water and soak for 20 minutes, drain and transfer to a pan. Cover with water and bring to the boil, skimming the surface. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, then drain.