Everything in Maya Sarao’s Yari Road kitchen, with polka dotted bake tins and heart boxes and the view of a flamboyant Gulmohar tree, is apparently made by hand. So much so, she doesn’t even own a food processor or blender. “It’s all mixed with love,” beams the actress/writer and now professional baker, who just started a dessert and baked goods venture called Maya Ne Banaya. Her all-treats-should-be-treated-with-love philosophy almost makes you reach out and touch the Gulmohar tree flowers, wondering if they’re little cups of red velvet.

Doiley Parton

The self-taught baker, egged on by her friends to turn cookies into commerce, has a few underlying rules to Maya ne Banaya. “Kya Banaya? Simple si chezein, bas. Asli makhan ke saath. Jyaadatar icing ke bina.  Kya nahin banaya? Cupcakes. Anything with food colouring and/or preservatives. High on drama, low on taste,” she points out. Clarified, butter.

Maya works with a revolving menu, baking only on Wednesdays and Fridays (a different dessert for each day), the menu for which goes up on the Facebook page on Sundays. The logistics are still a bit up in the air, with deliveries being made upto Bandra only if she has the time, or then orders will have to be picked up from Yari Road.

While the last menu featured some watch-and-drool American-style chocolate scones and lemonies, this week is all about almond biscotti and chocolate chip cookies. bpb actually got Maya to break her rule (gasp!) and give us a taste of the banana bread that you can order next week. It arrived at our home in an adorable brown paper bag (yes, we’re biased towards the Bag) with a snow flake doily and logo sticker. Simple and neat, a reflection of its contents. The five slabs of banana bread were dense, slightly sticky, packed with walnuts and perfect for tea time.

A sigh for your chai.

Getting there: A 401, Raj Kiran, off Yari Road, Versova, call 9820715866, view the Facebook page here, email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , Rs 200 for 5 slabs of banana bread.