Chefs We Love
July 10, 2024
5 Big Flavored Recipes From Devan Rajkumar’s Cookbook, Mad Love
At age 32, Devan Rajkumar was living what most chefs dream of: he was running his own restaurant, Loch & Quay, on Toronto’s waterfront. But, one year in, he realized he wanted something different. The George Brown College–trained chef shifted his focus to becoming a food personality and started appearing on TV shows including Cityline and Food Network Canada’s Fire Masters. “I admire anybody who operates or works at a restaurant because it’s such a challenging business,” says Devan. “But by not being pinned down to one establishment, I was able to focus on making great food for more people.” Now, his love lies in cooking online for his 129,000 Insta followers, signing off each video with the catchphrase “mad love.” This success has led to his first cookbook, Mad Love: Big Flavors Made to Share, from South Asia to the West Indies.
Scroll down for five of his most popular recipes from his the book!
Born in Richmond Hill, Ont., to Guyanese parents, Devan wanted to share his love for Guyanese and East and West Indian cuisines through colorful recipes packed with root vegetables, spicy peppers and green herbs. “I’m a bold, big-flavoured chef; I like to create bursts and pops of flavor,” he says.
A fresh take on poke, the fantastic Salmon, Tuna and Plantain Poke Bowl features Guyanese ingredients like wiri wiri pepper and fried plantain.
Get the recipe for Devan’s Salmon, Tuna and Plantain Poke Bowl with Nori and Wiri Wiri Mayo here.
The Tandoori Steak, infused with Devan’s own 15-spice blend, is a must-make — no tandoori oven required. “Each household has their own unique masala blend,” says Devan. “I use mine to impart flavor and color to a lot of my dishes.”
Get the recipe for the Tandoori Steak with Chimichurri here.
Inspired by childhood trips to Toronto’s Gerrard Street East, the Little India Masala Corn has another unique spice blend with a Caribbean twist by way of a chipotle-lime mayonnaise.
Get the recipe for Devin’s Little India Masala Corn here.
“Paneer can be a little dense. I love it like this, contrasted with grilled fruit and an herbaceous pesto.”
Get the recipe for the Grilled Paneer and Watermelon Sandwich with Cilantro Pesto here.
“This naan is a beautiful vehicle for stews or curries — the yogurt and eggs in the dough give it both density and fluffiness.”
Get Devan’s recipe for Garlic and Cilantro Naan here.
These days, Devan is forging a new career path, from cooking for corporate clients to creating social media videos to chefing at pop-up restaurants. “I want to put my time and energy into different projects including a product line, more cookbooks, travelling and doing demos.”
Mad Love is available now! Figure 1 Publishing, 2024, $39.
Recipes from Mad Love: Big Flavors Made to Share, from South Asia to the West Indies by Devan Rajkumar. Photography by Suech and Beck. ©2023 by Devan Rajkumar. Excerpted with permission from Figure 1 Publishing. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher