South African · Durban Indian · main

Durban Mutton Bunny Chow

Durban Mutton Bunny Chow reads warm spice 5.9, salinity 3.6 and herbaceous 3.2 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a South African · Durban Indian main, about 2 hr 8 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 3.8 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 2.6 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 1.9 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 2.0 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 3.1 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 6.6 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Warm Spice 5.9 · Salinity 3.6 · Herbaceous 3.2 · Floral 3.0 · Allium 2.9 · Richness 2.6 · Sweetness 2.1 · Umami 2.1 · Earthy 1.8 · Sourness 1.8 · Fruity 1.7 · Nutty 1.7 · Bitterness 1.1 · Citrus 0.6

What's in it (16)

• mutton — 1000 g
• sunflower oil — 55 g
• onions — 220 g
• cinnamon — 2 g
• cardamom pods — 400 g
• freshly ground star anise — 200 g
• curry leaves — 3 g
• ginger-garlic paste — 30 g
• durban masala — 45 g
• turmeric — 5 g
• tomatoes — 350 g
• potatoes — 500 g
• water — 500 g
• salt — 10 g
• white sandwich bread — 100 g
• fresh coriander — 30 g

Time & effort: about 2 hr 8 min (2 hr 7 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 78.8 kcal, 3.2 g protein, 2 g fat, 15.5 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (10 steps)

1. Heat the oil in a heavy pot and cook the onions 10 minutes over medium heat until deep gold - Durban curries start from browned onion, not pale onion.
2. Add the cinnamon stick, cardamom, star anise and curry leaves and let them crackle 1 minute.
3. Stir in the ginger-garlic paste and cook 2 minutes until the raw smell goes.
4. Add the masala and turmeric and fry 1 minute in the oil, adding a splash of water if it catches.
5. Add the mutton and turn it in the masala over medium-high heat for 6 minutes until sealed and coated.
6. Add the grated tomato and cook 8 minutes until the oil separates and floats.
7. Pour in the water, add the salt, cover and simmer 75 minutes until the mutton is falling off the bone.
8. Add the potatoes and simmer a further 25 minutes uncovered, until they are soft enough to thicken the gravy at the edges.
9. Cut each bread quarter and pull out the soft centre to make a hollow, keeping the pulled-out piece as the 'virgin' lid.
10. Ladle the curry into the hollow until it soaks into the crumb wall, top with the bread lid and scatter with coriander. Eaten with the hands, no cutlery.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Pilau ya Nyama ya Mbuzi (Swahili Goat Pilau) — Swahili Coast
• Bariis Iskukaris (One-Pot Rice with Goat) — Somali
• Mutton Yakhni (Curd Stew with Fennel and Asafoetida, No Onion or Garlic) — Indian · Kashmir
• Tripes à la Mode de Caen — French · Normandy
• Berbere Spice Blend — Ethiopian

Keep reading: what warm spice, salinity, herbaceous mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.