Hot Stuff

Indeed, the notion of selling fuchka and chotpoti on carts has been here for a long time. But the recent promotion of the 'cart business', to include burgers, has redefined the industry completely. New and more suave carts have mushroomed all over. Burgers as street food -- almost overnight -- have become immensely popular.         

Hot Stuff, a new cart venture that has been operating for just over a month, has chosen to differ. It is a cart all right, but the menu is much more diverse. And hence, a new range of food items has joined the streets.
The venture is the effort of a mother-son partnership. "My mother, Nargis Chowdhury, is the head chef. She is really a gifted cook," says Maher Sayeed Chowdhury, one of the owners of the cart.

The menu of the jolly-looking yellow cart -- designed as a motor tricycle with even a tiny chimney on the roof -- is very diverse indeed.

If you are looking for munchies and snacks, try out their kebab rolls and chicken 'kathi' kebab. One of the flagship items of the cart is their Chicken Champs. Chicken Champs, which come in the shape of balls, are basically deep fried chicken cooked in wholesome bread crumbs.

You will definitely want to dip these in special sauces the cart offers. Tamarind sauce and coriander sauce may seem to be very ordinary and normal when you first see them, but with an intelligent mix of ingredients, these sauces become a delight that makes your food even more delightful.

A piece of Chicken Champ is quite big; almost a handful. A couple of them, along with the sauces, are quite substantial and satisfying.

But if you want something heavier -- a meal perhaps -- Hot Stuff has beef tehari and chicken pilaf.
"Other than friends coming for a hangout, another set of customers comprises office goers," informed Maher. "There are several offices nearby, and Hot Stuff is quickly gaining popularity amongst them."

So if you work in Banani and the lunch at your cafeteria does not look great one day, you can always order from Hot Stuff.  

"The foods we make are less oily, and they are made and dealt with a lot of care to maintain hygiene," Maher said.

Nevertheless, if you do not fancy tehari and pilaf because they seem to be too rich and heavy, Hot Stuff has a menu of 'lean meals' for you. Lean meals generally means those foods that are less oily and low on cholesterol.
The common view is that most foods, if delicious, are unhealthy. To bust this myth, you ought to pay a visit to Hot Stuff.

Hot Stuff has a few set menus under their lean meals section. This part of the menu is dominated by chicken and vegetables, cooked in different styles and served with steamed rice. For example, try their barbeque flavoured boneless chicken, which comes with vegetables and steamed rice.

Quite a decent meal we must say: simple, not overly filling, healthy but absolutely delicious.
Location: Road 7/B, Block H, Banani (in the alley adjacent to Oh! Calcutta in Banani 11). Facebook page: Hot Stuff Foods. Business hours: 12pm-10pm. Contact number: 0184 162 3914. Home delivery radius: Banani, Gulshan and Baridhara.  

Photo: Kazi Tahsin Agaz Apurbo