On Saturday, August 10, Mia le Roux was crowned Miss South Africa 2024 at the SunBet Arena in Pretoria.
Le Roux is the first differently-abled Miss SA.
In her acceptance speech, the 28-year-old said she hoped her victory would help those who felt excluded from society to achieve their “wildest dreams, just like I am”.
She said she wanted to help those who were “financially excluded or differently abled”.
“With a humble and grateful heart, I accept the incredible responsibility of being your Miss South Africa 2024. It is an honour that fills me with immense pride and gratitude, and I am deeply touched by the trust and confidence that South Africa has placed in me.
“Today, it is my turn to be your community, to be a voice for those who, like me, have experienced the challenges of being different and feeling excluded.
“I am here to serve as your representative, to champion the causes that matter to South Africans, and to create a space where everyone can shine in their unique, beautiful way,” said Le Roux.
Her answers to the questions set her apart from her competitors, proving that she was not only beautiful but also intelligent.
However, what happens to be her favourite food, the one thing she turns to every time she needs a pick me up?
It’s Thai green chicken curry. So we thought, why not celebrate her win with her favourite meal? Courtesy of the queen herself, below is Le Roux’s Thai green chicken curry recipe that you can also cook at home.
Mia le Roux’s Thai green chicken curry
INGREDIENTS
For the curry paste:
4 cloves of garlic
2 onions
5cm piece of ginger
1 lemon
4 green chillies
1 tsp ground cumin
½ bunch of fresh coriander
2 tbs fish sauce
750g skinless chicken breasts
Olive oil
400g button mushrooms
400g tin coconut milk
1 chicken stock cube
200g sugar snap peas
½ bunch fresh basil
I red chilli, chopped
I lime
METHOD
To make the curry paste, peel, roughly chop and place the garlic, onions and ginger in a food processor.
Add the zest of the lemon and squeeze the juice into the processor. Trim and add the chillies, the cumin, and half the coriander.
Blitz until finely chopped then add the fish sauce and blitz again.
Slice the chicken into 2.5cm strips.
Heat 1 tbs of olive oil in a large pan over medium heat, add the chicken and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, or until just turning golden, then transfer to a plate. Slice the mushrooms into even pieces.
Return the pan to medium heat, add the mushrooms, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until golden. Transfer to a plate using a slotted spoon.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the Thai green paste for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Pour in the coconut milk and 200 ml of boiling water, and crumble in the stock cube. Turn the heat up and bring gently to the boil, then simmer for 10 minutes or until reduced slightly.
Stir in the chicken and mushrooms, reduce the heat to low, and cook for a 5 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through, adding the sugar snap peas for the final 2 minutes.
Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Roughly chop and stir through the basil leaves and remaining coriander leaves, and scatter over the chopped red chilli. Serve with a wedge of lime and steamed rice.