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I learned that the south Indian seasoning podi – a coarse mix of searingly hot, coarsely crushed spices, which you stir into a little oil and use as a sauce for dosa or idli – is also known as “gunpowder” spice mix. It's aptly named if you were using my grandmother’s personally dried peppers, but it would be charitable 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 Mint-Lime Dressing

You will need six to eight barbecue sticks (if wooden, let them sit in water for 10 minutes first).

Prep 10 min
Cook 30 minutes
Serves 2

400g waxy potatoes, sliced into four-centimeter chunks
225g paneer, cubed into two-centimeter cubes
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
Half a teaspoon fennel seeds
One tsp cumin seeds
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
One tsp chilli flakes
One and a half tsp flaky sea salt, with more for serving
Two cloves of garlic, peeled and grated
2½cm piece fresh ginger, prepared and minced
Forty milliliters flavorless oil
1 red onion, prepared and divided into eight wedges, then halved crossways

For the dressing
Zest and juice from one lime, finely grated
0.35 ounces fresh mint leaves, diced small
Half a tsp flaky sea salt
One hundred grams natural yoghurt

Boil the potatoes for 9 minutes, then drain them and allow to air dry for a minute. At the same time, put the paneer cubes in a pot of hot water for five minutes, then strain and blot dry.

Tip the coriander, fennel and cumin seeds into a mortar or spice grinder, add the peppercorns, chilli flakes and sea salt, then pound or blitz to a coarse mixture.

Place in a large mixing bowl with the minced ginger and garlic, add the oil, then lightly combine with the paneer cubes, boiled potatoes, and onion wedges to coat. Skewer the vegetables and cheese on to barbecue sticks, then move to a sheet pan and keep ready – if you like, you can at this stage store in the fridge the skewers.

Beat all the dressing components in a container. Preheat the broiler to its highest setting, then cook the skewers for 5–7 minutes on each side, until the paneer is golden brown and the potatoes are beginning to blacken. (This may take a variable duration depending on the intensity of your oven, so monitor closely, especially when cooking the first side.)

Present the skewers warm, sprinkled with a little more flaky salt and the accompaniment for drizzling.