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I found with joy that the traditional Indian blend podi – a coarse mix of fiery, roughly ground spices, which you mix with a little oil and use as a dip for dosa or idli – is also known as “gunpowder” seasoning. 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 crushed chilies 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 skewers made of metal or wood (if made of wood, soak them in water for 10 minutes first).

Prep 10 min
Cook 30 minutes
Serves 2

400g starchy potatoes, cut into 1.5-inch chunks
Two hundred twenty-five grams paneer, cubed into 2cm cubes
1 tsp coriander seeds
½ tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp chilli flakes
1½ tsp flaky sea salt, plus extra to serve
Two garlic cloves, peeled and grated
Two and a half centimeters piece fresh ginger, prepared and minced
Forty milliliters neutral oil
One red onion, prepared and divided into eight wedges, then halved crossways

For the dressing
Zest and juice from one lime, finely grated
Ten grams fresh mint leaves, diced small
½ teaspoon flaky sea salt
100g natural yoghurt

Boil the potatoes for about 10 minutes, then drain them and leave to steam dry for a minute. In the interim, put the paneer cubes in a pot of hot water for 5 minutes, then remove water and dry gently.

Tip the cumin, coriander, and fennel seeds into a grinding bowl or mill, add the salt, chili flakes, and peppercorns, then crush or grind to a chunky blend.

Place in a sizable container 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 components on to barbecue sticks, then move to a sheet pan and set aside until needed – if you like, 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 top temperature, then grill the skewers for 5–7 minutes on each side, until the paneer is browned and the potatoes are getting slightly burnt. (This may take a variable duration depending on the intensity of your oven, so watch carefully, especially when cooking the first side.)

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