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I was delighted to discover that the South Indian spice mix podi – a coarse mix of intensely spicy, roughly ground spices, which you mix with a little oil and use as a accompaniment for dosa or idli – is also known as “gunpowder” blend. That’s not a misnomer if you were using my grandmother’s personally dried peppers, but it would be generous to say that I’m far less bold with chilli, so here I suggest crushed chilies instead. It’s an remarkably tasty marinade for these paneer and potato skewers.

Spicy Paneer and Potato Skewers with Lime-Mint Dressing

Prepare six to eight metal or wooden skewers (if made of wood, let them sit in water for 10 minutes first).

Prep 10 min
Cook 30 min
Serves two people

Four hundred grams firm potatoes, chopped into 4cm chunks
225g paneer, cubed into two-centimeter cubes
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
½ tsp fennel seeds
One tsp cumin seeds
One teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon chilli flakes
One and a half tsp flaky sea salt, plus extra to serve
2 cloves of garlic, prepared and minced
2½cm piece fresh ginger, skinned and shredded
about 3 tablespoons flavorless oil
One red onion, prepared and divided into eight wedges, then halved crossways

For the dressing
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime
Ten grams fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
Half a tsp flaky sea salt
3.5 ounces natural yoghurt

Cook the potatoes for nine minutes, then remove the water and leave to steam dry for a minute. At the same time, put the paneer cubes in a pot of hot water for a short while, then strain and blot dry.

Pour the spice seeds into a pestle and mortar or blender, add the seasonings, then pound or blitz to a coarse mixture.

Transfer to a medium-large bowl with the minced ginger and garlic, add the oil, then lightly combine with the cubed paneer, cooked potatoes and red onions to coat. Skewer the paneer, potatoes and onions on to the prepared skewers, then transfer to a baking sheet and reserve for later – if desired, you can at this stage cover and refrigerate the skewers.

Beat all the dressing components in a container. Turn on the grill to its top temperature, then grill the skewers for five to seven 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 fierceness of your grill, so keep an eye on them, especially when cooking the first side.)

Present the skewers warm, topped with a little more sea salt and the dressing alongside for dipping.