Ram Babu sells over a hundred kilograms of fries each day and makes around Rs 2000.
A street chef in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh has been dubbed super hands - thanks to his ability to dip his hands into boiling hot oil unscathed.
Ram Babu regularly attracts hordes of spectators, who come to see his astonishing ability. The 60-year-old snack seller can bury his bare hands into searing cooking oil heated up to 200C for frying fritters.
"People from far away come to see me frying
pakoras without burning my hands. I have been doing this for more than forty years but have never suffered blisters or any burn injury," he says.
When Babu - who fries potato and eggplant wedges at his roadside stall - started selling the deep-fried snacks to make ends meet at the age of just 20, he never thought his small stall would see such a large turnout. But as the demand grew, Babu stopped using any apparatus to save time - opting to spoon them out with his hands.
"Using the heavy spatula was time consuming. One day, there was a throng of customers at the shop and I had no helping hand. In panic, I mistakenly put my bare hands to take out fries. Before I could realise, my hands were deep into the pan of bubbling oil. I immediately took my hands out expecting blisters covering my hand but surprisingly there was nothing," he recalls.
"Ever since that day I decided to not use spatula. I have never been hurt, it feels as if I am putting my hands in water," he adds.
Babu sells over a hundred kilograms of fries each day and makes around Rs 2000. "People go bonkers seeing me doing this, they keep asking if I have done some magic - but I simply smile and say this is all God's magic," he says.
Over the years, Babu has earned a bevy of customers and a huge fan following over the years, who travel from across the capital region to sample his crispy fries.
Amit Singh who is a frequent customer at Babu's stall says: "It really surprises me when I see him pulling out the fritters straight out of the pan. One has to see to believe him doing this.
"I can never think of even touching that boiling oil but he astonishingly takes out crispy pakoras as if they have been fried in cold water. And the fritters taste really good."
And just like his customers, Babu's unique ability has also left doctors baffled. He says: "As my popularity grew, several doctors approached me for research. Many took the sample of my skin, but none found anything unusual. I do not know why I am like this but as long as I am unhurt and my ability helps me make money, I will happily fry fritters with my hands."