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I found with joy that the south Indian spice mix podi – a rough grind of fiery, roughly ground spices, which you stir into a little oil and use as a sauce for dosa or idli – is also known as “gunpowder” blend. That’s not a misnomer if you were using my grandmother’s home-dried chillies, but it would be kind to say that I’m far less adventurous with chilli, so here I suggest red pepper flakes instead. It’s an exceptionally great marinade for these paneer and potato skewers.

Gunpowder Paneer and Potato Skewers with Lime-Mint Dressing

Prepare six to eight metal or wooden skewers (if wooden, soak them in water for 10 minutes first).

Prep 10 min
Cook 30 minutes
Serves 2

14 ounces waxy potatoes, sliced into 4cm chunks
8 ounces paneer, cut into two-centimeter cubes
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
½ tsp fennel seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 tsp black peppercorns
One teaspoon chilli flakes
1½ tsp flaky sea salt, and additional for garnish
2 garlic cloves, peeled and grated
2½cm piece fresh ginger, prepared and minced
40ml neutral oil
One red onion, peeled and cut into eight wedges, then sliced across

For the dressing
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime
10g fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
½ teaspoon flaky sea salt
One hundred grams natural yoghurt

Boil the potatoes for nine minutes, then pour off the liquid and leave to steam dry for a minute. At the same time, put the paneer cubes in a container with heated water for five minutes, then remove water and dry gently.

Pour the cumin, coriander, and fennel seeds into a mortar or spice grinder, add the seasonings, then pound or blitz to a chunky blend.

Place in a sizable container with the shredded aromatics, add the oil, then gently stir in the paneer cubes, boiled potatoes, and onion wedges to coat. Skewer the paneer, potatoes and onions on to the prepared skewers, then place on a tray and reserve for later – if desired, you can at this stage cover and refrigerate the skewers.

Whisk all the sauce elements in a container. Preheat the broiler to its highest setting, then grill the skewers for five to seven minutes on each side, until the paneer is crispy and the potatoes are beginning to blacken. (This may take a variable duration depending on the fierceness of your grill, so watch carefully, especially when cooking the first side.)

Serve the skewers hot, topped with a little more salt and the accompaniment for drizzling.