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One was delighted to discover that the South Indian blend podi – a coarse mix of fiery, roughly ground spices, which you combine with a little oil and use as a sauce for dosa or idli – is also known as “gunpowder” seasoning. That’s not a misnomer if you were using my grandmother’s homemade dried chilies, but it would be charitable to say that I’m far less adventurous with chilli, so here I suggest chilli 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 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

400g starchy potatoes, chopped into 4cm chunks
8 ounces paneer, diced into two-centimeter cubes
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
½ tsp fennel seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
One tsp black peppercorns
One tsp chilli flakes
One and a half tsp flaky sea salt, plus extra to serve
2 garlic cloves, skinned and shredded
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
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
Ten grams fresh mint leaves, minced
Half a tsp flaky sea salt
100g natural yoghurt

Boil the potatoes for nine minutes, then remove the water and allow to air dry for a minute. Meanwhile, put the paneer cubes in a pot of hot water for a short while, then drain and pat dry.

Add the cumin, coriander, and fennel seeds into a pestle and mortar or blender, add the seasonings, then mash or process to a chunky blend.

Tip into a large mixing bowl with the shredded aromatics, add the oil, then gently stir in the paneer cubes, boiled potatoes, and onion wedges to coat. Arrange the paneer, potatoes and onions on to barbecue sticks, then transfer to a baking sheet and reserve for later – if desired, you can at this stage store in the fridge the skewers.

Whisk all the dressing components in a mixing bowl. Heat the grill to its maximum heat, then cook the skewers for five to seven minutes on each side, until the paneer is crispy and the potatoes are starting to char. (This may take a different amount of time depending on the intensity of your oven, so keep an eye on them, especially when cooking the first side.)

Serve the skewers hot, scattered with a little more sea salt and the dressing alongside for dipping.