When people think of Indian food, they think of butter chicken and papadums. These dishes are praised by westerners for their abundance of spices and flavours and can be found at most Indian restaurants in Sydney. However, there is much more to Indian cuisine than these dishes.
is a Surry Hills institution that has been serving authentic north and south Indian cuisine for over three decades. The restaurant was established in 1988 and was the first in Sydney to sell traditional Indian sweets. Kuki Singh and her husband, Ken Singh, were regular customers at Maya Masala before they took over the restaurant in 2005.
Kuki Singh says, "We liked the vibe, the food mix and the fact that it did Indian sweets at the time, which nobody else in Sydney was doing."
The couple had previously run a successful Indian restaurant in Orange in regional NSW, which they purchased after moving from New Delhi in 1981. When the opportunity to purchase Maya Masala arose, they knew it was too good to miss.
Kuki Singh and her husband run Maya Masala in Sydney. Source: Maya Masala
The early days of running Maya Masala were tough with hours spent learning how to manufacture Indian sweets and familiarising themselves with a takeaway canteen style service.
"Initially, we had a different set-up because it was a fast-food Indian restaurant, which is different from the normal Indian restaurants," she says. "It was open all day and it didn't have table service so it would get very busy when everybody came at the same time."
Fast forward to today, Maya Masala is a bustling eatery, renowned for its innovative Indian sweets and an all-vegetarian menu including legumes, grains and vegetables, which are a large part of a traditional Indian diet.
"In India, vegetarian food is huge because a very large portion of our population does not eat meat," Singh explains. "Even if they do, they won't eat large amounts or very often."
You walk in, and you want a dosa, then someone will be standing there making it for you.
The menu changes daily to hero seasonal food and to showcase different cooking techniques from across the Indian subcontinent. Singh takes pride in the fact that dishes are made from scratch using the freshest ingredients.
"Everything is cooked to order," she explains. "You walk in, and you want a dosa, then someone will be standing there making it for you. It's not prepared in advance. This freshness is one of our biggest plus points."
Singh describes this south Indian specialty as a "lentil and rice pancake with a potato stuffing".
"It's a laborious process making the dosa. You soak the rice and lentils, then you grind them, then you let them ferment and then you cook it," she says. "People find it easier to come in and eat and know that it's freshly cooked."
On a cold winter's day, customers also flock to Maya Masala for a comforting thali plate. This dish, which is traditional to the north of India, includes four curries, yoghurt, roti, rice, a papadum and a salad. Thalis were a staple family meal in New Delhi where Singh grew up and she loves how they highlight India's incredible culinary diversity.
Maya Masala wouldn't be the same without its popular dosa offering. Source: Maya Masala
"Our menu is traditional, and the recipes have been used for centuries. The only thing we do is we'll keep it authentic; we don't change it or modernise it or tweak it to suit local tastes," Singh explains. "What has happened is local people have adapted to those tastes."
Customers also love Maya Masala's selection of street foods and curries, but its speciality north Indian sweets put it on Sydney's culinary map, especially its gulab jamun and burfi.
You'll find classics like thali at Maya Masala in Sydney's inner suburb of Surry Hills. Source: Maya Masala
"Gulab jamun are like dumplings made with milk and flour and fried and then immersed in syrup," she explains. "And the burfi is fudge made with milk and sugar and nuts."
GULAB AND BURFI RECIPES
Paneer gulab jamun with rosewater and saffron syrup
These sweets are made in small batches from the original 1988 recipes.
"We were the first ones to make them and always prioritise quality," Singh says. "We won't make large amounts and then just let them sit. We make small amounts and I think we're now known for the quality of our ingredients and the freshness."
Maya Masala's sweets and treats have been attracting Indian-Australians, ex-pats, Surry Hills locals and tourists to their shop for years. Its initial customer base was comprised of locals. However, once the word spread, customers began travelling across Sydney.
Over the years, Singh has seen many similar restaurants open in western Sydney that cater to the large population of Indian migrants.
Visit Maya Masala to indulge in its selection of Indian sweets. Source: Maya Masala
"As far as the local community is concerned, we are niche," she says. "You won't find many similar to us in the food that we do…We offer the community a chance to eat at a vegetarian, vegan restaurant without having to travel too far."
The pair's loyal customers continue to return and have memorised the days on which their favourite curries are served. Singh appreciates their long-term diners, along with those who drop by when visiting Sydney.
"I remember once somebody had come from Bangalow, which is the home of dosa," Singh recalls. "My husband was there in the restaurant, and he went up and said, 'Look, we live in India, but this is probably the best dosa we have ever eaten'."
We're now known for the quality of our ingredients and the freshness.
While Maya Masala has a strong base of local Indian customers, it has seen an increase in people coming from diverse cultural backgrounds.
"Eating at Maya gives you an insight into and appreciation of our culture," Singh says. "It helps to bring the two communities together."
Being able to share her Indian heritage with Australians is important, but Singh also wants her food to be a way for people to unite.
"It's not just about bringing two communities of various cultures together," she explains. "Our food is also meant for sharing so you order two or three different things and share them amongst a few people."
Maya Masala is only becoming more popular with age. Singh attributes this to the rise in vegetarianism and veganism in the west. She guarantees that the restaurant will continue to make traditional recipes for years to come.
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