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One found with joy that the traditional Indian spice mix podi – a rough grind of intensely spicy, roughly ground spices, which you mix with a little oil and use as a sauce for dosa or idli – is also known as “gunpowder” seasoning. This is accurate if you were using my grandmother’s personally dried peppers, but it would be kind to say that I’m far less adventurous with chilli, so here I suggest crushed chilies 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 skewers made of metal or wood (if made of wood, soak them in water for 10 minutes first).

Prep 10 minutes
Cook 30 minutes
Serves 2

14 ounces starchy potatoes, cut into 1.5-inch chunks
225g paneer, diced into 2cm cubes
One tsp coriander seeds
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
One tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp black peppercorns
One tsp chilli flakes
1½ tsp flaky sea salt, plus extra to serve
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and grated
1-inch piece fresh ginger, skinned and shredded
40ml mild oil
One red onion, prepared and divided into eight wedges, then sliced across

For the dressing
Lime zest and juice, freshly prepared
Ten grams fresh mint leaves, diced small
Half a teaspoon flaky sea salt
3.5 ounces natural yoghurt

Boil the potatoes for about 10 minutes, then drain them and let them dry from steam for a minute. Meanwhile, put the paneer cubes in a container with heated water for a short while, then remove water and dry gently.

Pour the cumin, coriander, and fennel seeds into a grinding bowl or mill, add the seasonings, then crush or grind to a coarse mixture.

Transfer to a sizable container with the minced ginger and garlic, add the oil, then carefully mix in the cubed paneer, cooked potatoes and red onions to coat. Thread the vegetables and cheese on to barbecue sticks, then place on a tray and set aside until needed – if desired, you can at this stage wrap and chill the skewers.

Beat all the sauce elements in a mixing bowl. Preheat the broiler to its top temperature, then grill the skewers for 5–7 minutes on each side, until the paneer is golden brown and the potatoes are starting to char. (This may take a little more or less time depending on the intensity of your oven, so watch carefully, especially when cooking the first side.)

Serve the skewers hot, scattered with a little more flaky salt and the sauce on the side for serving.