By combining the spice of pepper with the creaminess of coconut milk, this chicken curry recipe is perfect for a big wholesome dinner! It is best eaten with hot rice and good company 🙂
(The pictures are not the best I KNOW, but the curry was simply too irresistible for me to pause for a photo shoot.)
Ingredients:
Around 500g chicken (can be any type of chicken, I prefer chicken legs but you could also use breast or thigh)
1 and a half onions
1 tomato
½ cup coconut milk
Around 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste (either ready made (you can get this at Tony!) or a homemade mix of blended ginger and garlic
Curry leaves (if you have it, not necessary)
A bunch of spices!!
1 tsp pepper
½ tsp turmeric
½ – 1 tsp red chilli powder (depends on your spice tolerance)
1 tbsp ground coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
Salt to taste (around 1 tsp)
Process:
Marinate your chicken with all the spices and the ginger-garlic paste. Try mixing all the spices into the chicken well. Don’t be too cautious with the spices at this stage because the coconut milk added later reduces the spice levels significantly. The chicken needs to be marinated for a minimum of an hour, however you could also leave it for a couple of hours or overnight for deeper flavour.
For the curry, chop up the onions into small cube-sized pieces and start frying them in some oil in a non-stick pan. Once the onions are glassy or golden brown (they should lose the raw smell), add chopped-up tomatoes. Keep stirring in the pan until the onions and tomato have blended into a mushed curry-base type texture. Then, add the marinated chicken into the pan, stir well, close the pan with a lid, and leave the chicken to cook. This should take about 10-15 mins. A good sign that the chicken is ready is when it looks tender, the chicken leg is falling off the bone, and the curry is releasing water. Once the chicken is cooked (it’s a good idea to break off a little bit of the chicken and check!), add the coconut milk, stir well and let it cook for another 7-8 mins. Then, do a little taste test to check if it needs any more salt or spice. If too spicy, add more coconut milk. If less spicy than desired, add more pepper and red chilli powder. If the curry feels too dry, add a little water or coconut milk and cook it together.
Once it’s done, serve with some hot rice and bon appetit!
Very legitimate chicken curry reviews that were definitely not coerced:
“It was really spicy and nice and warm and hearty and chicken-y. It was one of the best curries I’ve had.” – Boo
“The chicken curry is flavourful and rich. It is reminiscent of authentic Indian tastes and it’s a must-try if you want to experience the best chicken curry I have ever had.” – (Very truthful review by) Nayantara
If you try this recipe out, please please let me know and send me pictures! Feel free to ask me any more questions, including if you need help getting the spices 🙂
It’s finals season for everyone, and we’re all stressed out and too tired to cook…
However, this is not an excuse to live off of baguettes and pasta boxes from Lidl! Hence, I present to you: my foolproof guacamole recipe! This will literally take you a maximum of 15 minutes to make, and I can promise you that it’s a party favourite.
P.S. I know that you can technically buy ready-made guacamole, but where’s the fun in that? Plus, the mix of fresh ingredients makes it taste so much better!!!
📌 Pro tip: how to choose ripe avocados
Make sure that the avocados you pick are the right colour! A shade of bright green usually indicates that it’s still unripe.
Use the bottom part of your thumb to lightly press against the avocado. If it leaves a slight indent, then the avocado is ripe.
Usually I get Lidl avocados in a pack of 2 large ones that are already labelled as “bien-mûr” (near the onions) to save myself the trouble of checking, because those are already perfectly ripe!
What you need:
2 ripe avocados
1 large tomato
1 onion
Lemon juice
Salt
Steps:
First, chop the onions into small pieces.
Then, chop the tomato into cubes.
Cut the avocados in half and de-seed them.
Use a spoon to separate the avocado from the skin, but leave the avocado in the skin.
Use a small knife to cut the avocados horizontally — first into slices, and then cut vertically so the slices become cubes.
Scoop out the avocado cubes from the skin.
Add all of the ingredients into the bowl.
Add a little salt and lemon juice to taste, and you’re done!
Apo’s review:
This recipe is a must to fight the grey and demotivating finals season: you can trust that this guacamole will boost your mood instantly and bring authentic Mexican flavours to your palate! I recommend this recipe to anyone that doesn’t want to waste time cooking when they should be studying, but still wants to enjoy a flavourful dish. I’m speaking from experience 😉
This guacamole was fresh, with the right amount of sweetness and acidity. When Yu Xuan mixed the fresh and juicy tomatoes with the crunchy red onions and the mashed avocado, it was as if magic happened! You can enjoy it with crunchy nachos like we did, on tacos or even on bread if you feel like it.
You won’t feel like going back to store-bought guacamole after having this. Please give it a try!
Try this easy-to-make treat and enjoy a unique twist on traditional mochi!
・To make around 15 pieces of mochi, you’ll need:
a Red Kuri squash that weighs around 250g
Mochiko (glutinous rice flour): half the weight of pumpkin (125~150g)
a pinch of salt
・For the sauce:
3 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp water
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp unsalted butter
How to make it:
Scoop out the seeds and pulp of your squash with a spoon.
Separate the seeds from the pulp. The pulp can be used with the rest of the squash, but not the seeds.
Cut the squash into small pieces and peel the skin off using a peeler or a sharp knife.
Put the pieces of squash with the pulp in a microwave-safe container and microwave it until soft (it took me 10 to 15 min for it to be fully soft, but it depends on the moisture of your squash).
Mash it well and add a pinch of salt. It enhances the natural sweetness of the squash.
Now, add the rice flour in multiple stages until it forms a soft and not too sticky orange dough.
Sprinkle some all-purpose flour on your working surface and place your dough on it.
Separate the dough into 15 pieces.
Using your hands, make a ball with each piece and then flatten it to get a disk mochi shape.
Drizzle some vegetable oil in a non-stick pan on medium-low heat.
Place your pieces of mochi in the pan and cover for 3 min. Flip them over for 3 more minutes.
In a bowl, combine the soy sauce, sugar and water. Pour them into the pan and add the butter at the same time. When the sauce has thickened, it means the sugar has caramelized and the butter has melted.
The Red Kuri Squash mochi is done. Enjoy!
Yu Xuan’s review:
We made this during the 1st cooking club event of the year: the Autumn dinner! Personally, I found kneading the rice flour dough as therapeutic as playing with slime. This recipe was so fun and yummy that I would definitely make it again — and it was such a crowd-pleaser! After all, who can say no to mochi?
What we learned from this was that success comes after a few tries. When making the first batch of this mochi, the heat was on too high, and the ones we pan-fried came out almost entirely burnt (fun fact: in Singaporean slang, we call this chāo-dā). Indeed, practice makes perfect: our second batch came out golden brown and coated in a gorgeous thick sugar glaze. It was the perfect bite — a combination of slightly crisp edges on the outside and the soft, chewy texture within. The hint of salt from the soy sauce provided a surprisingly tantalizing flavor contrast, balancing out the caramelized sugar extremely well. Fresh out of the pan, the warmth of the mochi and the earthy flavors make for a cozy fall dinner.
P.S. For an afternoon snack, I think that it would have paired well with a drink with a milder taste profile, such as green tea or soy milk.
Last weekend, we stumbled upon Le Havre’s annual maritime festival!
All photos by Yu Xuan Neo and Syontoni Hattori-Chatterjee.
9 September 2024
After our brunch at Brunch & Bowl, we were drawn towards the bustling street lined with dozens of booths. It was the annual La Fête de la Mer organized every first weekend of September in Le Havre!
So what is this exactly?
According to Bee Le Havre, it is meant to “celebrate the sea through multiple animations.” Seafarers, merchants, port workers — basically anyone in the maritime world comes together to celebrate the festival. This is a key event in Le Havre (a port city, as we all know): the sea is its lifeblood.
Entry 1:Yu Xuan – The Forbidden Babymobiles
The first thing that caught my eye were the adorable sea-themed babymobiles that were hand-made and crocheted.
P.S. I wanted to buy one really badly, but they said it was only meant for decoration purposes for their workshop 😦
The fête sold absolutely everything you can think of, ranging from crystals, pastries to even spices: we paused at every booth to admire their products. I couldn’t help but appreciate how the constant flow of people and the happy chatter around us injected so much life into our little city!
Entry 2: Sy – Spicy Pirates
Speaking of spices, shout out to the nice man at the spice booth who saw our wandering eyes and let us try some fun ones for free. Sesame seeds flavored with prune umeboshi made me think of my aunt’s house and sesame flavored with kimchi reminded me to make a quick trip to Hoa Soung (RIP but not RIP if you’ve been keeping up with LDD’s other articles).
Yu Xuan and I also tried on some pirate hats but decided to go as something a bit less on the nose for Halloween in Le Havre
Entry 3:Sy – Vintage Postcard Tea
As we walked on further, we found a stand with dozens of boxes filled with old postcards from all over France and all over the world. We rifled through tabs from Toulouse to Saint-Lo and found that they were not merely vintage keepsakes, but actual postcards that people had written in and sent to their loved ones decades ago. I could have spent forever at that booth, perusing gorgeous illustrations and black and white photographs of French and world landmarks and then reading glimpses into the everyday lives of the people who visited them. From sweet messages to siblings, passionate letters to lovers, and cheeky notes to friends, the nosy drama lover and journalist in me certainly got her fill of old-timey tea.
Entry 3: Yu Xuan and Sy – Buttery Brittany Deliciousness
Y: We also chanced upon Elise, who introduced us to the famously buttery Brittany delicacy Kouign Amann sold in the fête! We were won over immediately and RUSHED to cop some to share!
S: I brought mine to a dinner with friends that night and it was a massive hit. Shout out Hotel California for hosting and the great people of Brittany for making a pastry that tastes as close as possible to literally just eating butter.
Entry 4:Sy – Mini Boats, Mini Boat Cars, and Houses With Feet
Next, the swashbuckling sound of seafaring music drew us to the LH Port Center stalls. First, we took a moment to watch the motorized mini boat races in the pool next door (go Canada!) Then, Yu Xuan and I excitedly waited for an opportunity to get into a mini boat on wheels and ride though the maze showcasing countries along worldwide shipping lanes. Unfortunately, we discovered that despite our childlike height, we were too old to partake in this activity designed for children. And yes, it was embarrassing to ask about it and get turned down. Nevertheless, I overcame this L and had a nice conversation with an LH Port Center intern and the director about their upcoming public reopening in November. For kid-friendly and more adult-oriented programs to discover the industrial portuary activities that dominate our city, I highly recommend going to check them out.
A bit further along, we gazed amusedly at a new Un Été au Havre sculpture. Since 2017 when Le Havre celebrated 500 years since its founding, the city has sponsored new public art installations every summer to bring new charm, character, and occasionally confusion to its streets. Fan favorites remain in Le Havre once the few months of sun has passed, such as La Catène de Containers and my personal favorite, the Narrow House. What do we think of this one: does it really have “No Reason To Move”?
Entry 5:Yu Xuan and Sy – Snack Time! Y: As we walked further into the street, we bought some carrot fritters to share from the stand dedicated to Culture Antillaise! They were priced at 2 euros for 6, and they were fried to perfection. Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, they were the perfect midday snack! It kept us warm as we wandered through the light breeze.
S: We also chanced upon a booth for Le Havre’s Polynesian and Tahitian culture association. They had more yummy treats as well as handmade dolls. They told us about the dance and singing workshops they conduct for their members and the community they build for Polynesian students in Le Havre and people interested in Tahiti and Polynesia.
Entry 6:Yu Xuan – Diving Into Le Havre Associations
Afterwards, we approached a diving booth. The booth was decorated with colorful pictures, and it even included a documentation of weekend diving explorations in one of Belgium’s reworked diving basins called Todi. Apparently, it was an old mining silo, and eventually, a whole ecoSEAStem (haha) grew there, with fishes of varying shades of the rainbow. Enraptured by the pictures, I asked for more information. As they told me, they offer bi-weekly diving sessions in Le Havre, on Wednesdays and Saturdays! There were 2 types of diving sports that they offered — one was plongée; while the other was more professional (training one’s holding of breath underwater). For a year-long subscription for their diving equipment and diving lessons (fromSeptember to June) held in the Piscine de la Mare Rouge, it was approximately 210 euros in total. Definitely an unusual but unique hobby!
Entry 7: Yu Xuan – Friendly Fisherman Nearby, there was a long stretch of stands that were bustling with life, which seemed to belong to the same association. Intrigued, we walked closer and we found that it was a LH fishing association. The fishermen proudly displayed their array of pictures — including the terrible looking dorade fish. I was especially impressed by their passion and welcoming spirit, as they were trying their best to communicate in English with me due to my dismal French skills. They sat us down, while demonstrating in real time how they fish, what kinds of specialized hooks they use, and displaying their different kinds of hooks. How fitting it was that they gave us goldfish biscuits to snack on! Pushing dozens of fishing brochures to us before we left, we walked away with our arms (and hearts) full.
Entry 8: Yu Xuan– Sciences Po Sailors
Lastly, we found ourselves in a navy booth! My eyes were drawn to the TV screen and the Augmented Reality Headset. It was an AR experience where you get to go into the augmented navy ship, experience flying on its helicopters, boating on the ferries, and exploring the ship. I could’ve sworn I felt the wind blow as the helicopter that I “was on” took off! It was a surreal experience and I loved every bit of it. While I was trying on the AR set, Syontoni had a chat with the navy officer manning the booth, and that was when we found out that he was Baptiste, a senior from SciencesPo Le Havre! He’s currently pursuing his Masters at SciencesPo in Paris, and he was back in Le Havre to reminisce about his parcours civique experience that took place in the navy.
In conclusion, we had an amazing afternoon exploring La Fête de la Mer and learning more about all of the maritime activities and cultures that the city of Le Havre has to offer. We hope you enjoyed our diary entries and for 1As that they might have convinced you to check it out next year!
Why the beloved Asian supermarket is closing and why that might not mean the end of quality Asian products for customers
Above: a street view of Le Havre’s Hoa Soung supermarker
by Manon Patouillet, Rita Zeefal, and Syontoni Hattori-Chatterjee
6 September 2024
As the second-year cohort of Sciences Po’s Le Havre campus came back to its campus city to get a second helping of la vie havraise, many a food enthusiast was dismayed to find out that Hoa Soung, the community’s favourite Asian supermarket, was on the cusp of shutting down permanently.
The news of the supermarket’s closure reached the campus community at large on the 19th of August. Much speculation about this seemingly sudden closure circulated in the few weeks that followed. The first version of the story that was told was that the roof of the store had fallen in and that its owners were being forced to sell out their last stock. Later, it was reported that the couple that had owned and managed the store since 1992 was simply retiring and leaving Le Havre. A team of reporters from Le Dragon Déchaîné visited the premises of Hoa Soung on the 1st of September to get to the heart of the matter and bring a halt to the rumour mill once and for all.
Above: a notice from the office of the mayor of Le Havre displayed outside Hoa Soung
On the 8th of July 2024 the owners of Hoa Soung, who wish to retain their anonymity, received a notice from the mayor’s office of Le Havre. This notice declared that the premises in which Hoa Soung’s owners carried out their activities were dilapidated and thus posed a threat to public security, given the fact that the structure of the building could cave in whilst customers were inside it. In light of these findings, the tenant and occupiers of properties 214 to 226 Rue Aristide Briand were to cease operations and evict the premises by the 1st of October 2024.
The notice, pasted a few doors away from the entrance of Hoa Soung for the public to behold, informs the reader that:
Mr. Jean-Marc METZGER, expert at the Rouen Court of Appeal, the expert report rendered on August 12, 2024 appointed by order of the President of the Administrative Court of Rouen dated August 5, 2024;
CONSIDERING thatit appears from the aforementioned reports that the state of the building located in Le Havre, 214 to 226 rue Aristide Briand, 76600 Le Havre, registered in DB section n°41, 42, 43, 44 and 440, including SCI PICOTO , domiciled at 97 boulevard Dufayel, 76310 Sainte-Adresse, is the owner, threatens public safety, in particular the safety of the occupants, it is necessary to order the essential measures to put an effective and lasting end to the danger.
The definitive ban on habitation or use of the building, except for the commercial unit occupied by the Caisse d’Epargne, is pronounced, in the absence of an overall rehabilitation project, and will take effect from the date from October 1, 2024.
From left to right: empty shelves in Hoa Soung’s store rooms; products still for sale; the current entry to the supermarket that greets customers
The owners of Hoa Soung confirmed in an interview with Le Dragon Déchaîné that the building in which they operated was old, and that they were not in a position to remedy the structure themselves, and so had to leave Le Havre. Regarding their clientele: “We are receiving many more student customers now than before,” stated one of the store managers, “we receive many kinds of clients: Vietnamese, Thai – they change a lot […] Le Havre is better than Paris.” The supermarket’s management confirmed that it will close definitively on the 9th of September 2024.
Despite the loss to Le Havre that the closure of Hoa Soung represents, regulars at the supermarket will be pleased to know that the management of the Le Monde des Saveurs supermarket intends to acquire Hoa Soung’s suppliers and continue selling the bulk of the products that have been sold by Hoa Soung up until the present. Members of staff at Le Monde des Saveurs confirmed in an interview with Le Dragon Déchaîné that the enterprise would continue the services previously offered by Hoa Soung. “We are taking over everything – on reprend tout.”
Above: a street view of the Le Monde des Saveurs supermarket
Le Dragon Déchaîné 