Bunny Chow (Vindaloo) Recipe

Vindaloo Chow

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Half a millennium around the Globe, capturing aromas, teasing taste buds. How the Vindaloo Chow landed up on your plate. "The story of the Vindaloo"

 

The Vindaloo

This popular dish, with its origins in Goa, was not always as chilli-hot as it is known to be in modern times.

In the 15th century, Portuguese discoverers brought to India their wine and garlic marinate, a method that is still practised in Portuguese homes up to this day.

Vinho = wine

Alho = Garlic

Vinho d’ alho = wine o’ garlic

Over time, like a broken telephone, the name got changed to “vin’d'alhoo", and eventually became the modern “Vindaloo".

The process was simply a marinade of wine and garlic, which preserved the meat whilst they sailed for months… as wine turns to vinegar, most recipes are made with vinegar, but some call for wine.

To confuse things even further, the word "aloo" means potato in Indian language, making some believe vindaloo was potato curry!... and so today, the Vindaloo curry is generally made with meat, but a lot of recipes call for potatoes and meat.

The "Bunny chow"

This very hot, very hearty way of eating curry originated in Durban South Africa, the largest Indian city outside India.

The "bunny" is made up of half a loaf of unsliced bread, hollowed out to make a bowl, then filled with curry... You can also get a quarter or a whole loaf.

Street food at it's best, where chilli-hot has no bounds... There is nothing more satisfying than a full loaf "bunny" to share with friends!

 

Belicious Vindaloo chow
With this little piece of history, I present to you Belicious' very own combination of these two historical names, an easy to make recipe that does not require many more ingredients either than your Belicious Masala Hot;

The Vindaloo Chow...!

Vindaloo Chow

For the Marinade

  • 4 tbsp Belicious Masala Hot
  • 3 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1 tbsp Rough Salt
  • 2 tbsp Fresh ginger gratings
  • 6 cloves Garlic (crushed)
  • 1 kg Beef (half chuck, half gravy beef) (cubed)
  • 1/3 cup White Vinegar
  • 1 Lemon (juice squeezed)
  • 1 Lime (juice squeezed)
  • 2 tbsp Plain yoghurt

For the Dish

  • 1 large Onion (sliced in wings)
  • 1 green Capsicum (diced)
  • 3 small Mild red chillies
  • 1 tsp Sugar
  • 1 tsp Cayenne pepper
  • 2 Potatoes (cut in large pieces)
  • 2 Ripe tomatoes (pureed)
  • 1 tbsp Mustard Powder
  • 2 tbsp Butter
  • 1 cup Water
  • Fresh Cilantro
  • 1 jalapeno
  • 1 loaf of bread or rice to serve
  1. Marinade: Blend all the marinade ingredients together well and add to beef. Leave for 1 hour covered
  2. Heat up a pot, cast iron works best
  3. Add butter, wait until it melts
  4. Remove the beef in the juice it's marinated in and add to butter
  5. Braise in single layers until brown on all sides
  6. Add mustard and cayenne pepper, stir
  7. Add green capsicum, jalapeno, chilli and onion. Stir and cook for 10 mins
  8. Add juice of the marinade and tomatoes, sugar, water and more salt if needed. Bring to a boil
  9. Turn heat to low, cover pot and let it simmer for 1 hour, stirring ocassionally and adding more water if needed
  10. Add potatoes, cover and simmer for a further 15mins or until potatoes are soft
  11. Add fresh cilantro
  12. Divide the bread in four, scoop out the crumb, making a bowl. Spoon Vindaloo into the hollow and serve with crumbs on top. Or cook rice and serve with rice if preferred.
Main Course
Indian-South African

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