is heading to Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa

to learn the secrets of Zulu cuisine.

But how the region developed some of its signature dishes,

reveals a deeper and darker history.

In just one stroll through a spice market,

in Durban, South Africa,

you can find the perfect marriage of Indo-African flavor.

From the touch of spice and a fresh Ushatini

to the powerful heat found in traditional Durban Curry.

But how did Indian spices find their way

into South African cuisine?

- The Zulu palette is very simplistic,

but we do add a touch of chili every now and then.

- Right.

- Because that sort of culture

has infiltrated throughout the region.

- [Narrator] As of 2019,

there are approximately 1.5 million people

of Indian descent currently living in South Africa.

In 1860, the British began bringing in Indians

to what is now known as the Kwazulu-Natal Province.

This wave of people were predominantly indentured servants

who came to work in South Africa sugarcane industry.

India abandoned indentured labor immigration

to the province in 1911.

But with the end of indentured servitude,

came the beginning of apartheid in 1948,

the sanction racial segregation and political

and economic discrimination against non-whites.

Prior to and during the apartheid era,

South African Indian cuisine came from Indians,

reworking their own classic dishes

with the ingredients they had available

and combining the elements and new ways.

Take one of Durban signature dishes, Durban Curry.

When the first groups of indentured servants

came to the Kwazulu-Natal Province,

ingredients that they were long accustomed to, were scarce.

To make meals stretch, local varieties of potatoes

were added into the curry,

which acted as a base to the abundant amount of meat

and poultry available.

Durban Curry also garnered its iconic red hot flavor profile

due to its incorporation of Indian hot chilies.

- Oh my God, that's hot.

- I thought you looked like a spicy guy to me.

- [Narrator] Another example, Durban's Bunny Chow.

The meal is made to be eaten with your hands

and it was a more durable spin on Indian bean Curry

with roti.

It consists of a loaf of white bread

with the center hollowed out

and stuffed with curry.

Several origins tie the dish to the Indian working class

and the prejudice conditions of the apartheid era.

A popular origin suggests that it was used as a way

to serve people of color who were forbidden to eat

in cafes and restaurants.

Nonwhite customers had to order their food to go

at the door and the dense bread served as a robust

and portable container.

From indentured servitude to apartheid,

Indian cuisine in South Africa

was not just used as a way to fill hungry bellies.

It was used as a way to preserve a culture

and helped create a new one in the process.

(upbeat music)