Growing up in Kilinochchi, Sri Lanka, Ravi Kanagarajah delivered his mother’s pastries to restaurants every morning before school. It was the beginning of a long career in hospitality.
Growing up in Kilinochchi, Sri Lanka, Ravi Kanagarajah delivered his mother’s pastries to restaurants every morning before school. It was the beginning of a long career in hospitality.
“I would go into the kitchens and learn what the chefs were doing,” he says.
At the tender age of 14, he took over the family restaurant and ran it until was bombed in 1987 during Sri Lanka’s violent civil war.
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“It was completely demolished. My mother handed me my passport and said, ‘Get out’ ” recalls the 40-year-old.
The teenager immigrated to Germany, and after cooking around Europe for four years he decided to move to Toronto. His uncle worked as a dishwasher at Mildred Pierce, so Kanagarajah took a cab directly from the airport to meet him at the restaurant.
“He was busy, so I started helping out. The owners saw me and said, ‘Who’s that little kid?’ ”
The young cook was hired on the spot and stayed at the celebrated bistro until 2002, working his way up to saucier while becoming famous for his soups.
After stints at Avalon and The Drake, Kanagarajah helped Black Camel, a gourmet sandwich shop, open its second location in the Entertainment District. When owner Irwin Schwartz decided to pull out six months later, Kanagarajah took over the space and realized a dream with RaviSoups (322 Adelaide St. W., 647-435-8365), a casual eatery showcasing his potager skills.
He opened a second RaviSoups in West Queen West (1128 Queen St. W., 416-538-7284)) early last year, placing his brother, Suresh, in charge. There are plans for further expansion, but it will be strictly a family affair.
“I have 25 cousins in Toronto; 16 are chefs.”
Curried Lentil and Apricot Soup
2 tbsp (30 mL) vegetable oil
2 onions, chopped
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1/4 cup (60 mL) finely chopped garlic
1/4 cup (60 mL) finely chopped, peeled ginger
2 tbsp (30 mL) mild curry powder
1 plum tomato, cored, chopped
1 cup (250 mL) diced dried apricots
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2 cups (500 mL) red lentils, rinsed
8 cups (2 L) water
3/4 cup (185 mL) coconut milk
Salt + ground black pepper to taste
Garnish:
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Plain yogurt
Chopped cilantro
In large pot, heat oil over medium. Add onions. Cook, stirring, until lightly golden, 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add garlic and ginger. Cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add curry powder; cook 1 minute. Add tomato, apricots, lentils and water. Raise heat to high. When mixture starts boiling, reduce to simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until apricots are very soft, 30 minutes. Using handheld immersion blender or in food processor, purée soup. Return soup to pot over low heat. Stir in coconut milk. Season with salt and pepper.
Ladle soup into warmed bowls. Garnish with dollop of yogurt and sprinkle of cilantro.
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