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South Africa, Middle East and Africa · Bunny Chow (Durban Chicken Curry in a Loaf)

Cheesy Keema Mini Bunny Rolls

Party-size bunny chow: soft rolls hollowed out, filled with Durban-spiced beef mince and peas, crowned with melted mozzarella and served with a cool mint yogurt dip.

ServingsServes 2
Total cooking time38 min
DifficultyEasy

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 200 °C. Slice a lid off the top of each roll and scoop out the soft centre with a teaspoon, leaving walls about 1 cm thick. Brush the inside and the lids with the melted butter, set them on a tray and toast for , until lightly crisp; this stops the filling from making them soggy.

    Add in this stepSoft dinner rolls (about 8 cm) 4Butter, melted 10 g

    oven
  2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a 20 cm frying pan over medium heat and cook the onion for , stirring, until soft and light golden.

    Add in this stepVegetable oil 1 tbspOnion, finely chopped 1

    medium heat
  3. Lower to medium-low heat, add the garlic, ginger, curry powder, chilli powder and tomato paste and stir for , until fragrant and brick red; add a spoonful of water if the paste starts to catch.

    Add in this stepGarlic cloves, crushed 2Fresh ginger, grated 5 gHot curry powder 2½ tspKashmiri chilli powder ½ tspTomato paste 1 tbsp

    medium-low heat
  4. Turn up to medium-high heat, add the mince and the salt and cook for , breaking it up with a spatula, until no pink remains and the meat starts to brown.

    Add in this stepBeef mince 200 gSalt ½ tsp

    medium-high heat
  5. Add the peas and water, lower to medium-low heat and simmer for , stirring, until the liquid has almost completely evaporated and the mince looks moist but not wet; a dry filling keeps the rolls crisp. Stir in the garam masala and half the coriander.

    Add in this stepFrozen peas 60 gWater 70 mlGaram masala ½ tspFresh coriander, chopped 2.5 g

    medium-low heat
  6. Pack the filling into the toasted rolls, sprinkle the mozzarella on top and stand them snugly in a 20×15 cm baking dish. Bake in the oven for , until the cheese is melted and bubbling with golden spots. Lean the lids against the rolls.

    Add in this stepGrated mozzarella 60 g

    oven
  7. While they bake, stir together the yogurt, mint and the remaining coriander and serve this dip alongside the hot rolls. Let them cool for 2 minutes before biting in: the filling is very hot.

    Add in this stepGreek yogurt 100 gFresh mint leaves, chopped 3 gFresh coriander, chopped 2.5 g

Cook's tip

The filling can be made a day ahead and chilled; reheat it until steaming before filling the rolls. Brioche rolls work too and add a sweet contrast, but they brown faster, so check them early. For a lamb keema, swap the beef for lamb mince.

Cooking it at camp

Make the filling in one pan on a gas burner and skip the oven: toast the hollowed rolls on a grill rack, fill them, top with the cheese, then set them in the pan and cover with a lid for 3 to 4 minutes over a low flame until the cheese melts. Keep the raw mince in a well-iced cooler below 5 °C and cook it first.