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One learned that the traditional Indian spice mix podi – a coarse mix of intensely spicy, crudely milled spices, which you stir into a little oil and use as a sauce for dosa or idli – is also known as “gunpowder” spice mix. 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 chilli flakes instead. It’s an extraordinarily good marinade for these paneer and potato skewers.

Spicy Paneer and Potato Skewers with Mint-Lime Dressing

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

Prep 10 min
Cook 30 min
Serves a couple

Four hundred grams firm potatoes, cut into four-centimeter chunks
8 ounces paneer, diced into 0.8-inch cubes
1 tsp coriander seeds
Half a tsp fennel seeds
One teaspoon cumin seeds
One teaspoon black peppercorns
1 tsp chilli flakes
One and a half tsp flaky sea salt, with more for serving
2 garlic pieces, skinned and shredded
2½cm piece fresh ginger, skinned and shredded
40ml flavorless oil
One red onion, prepared and divided into eight wedges, then sliced across

For the dressing
Lime zest and juice, freshly prepared
0.35 ounces fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
½ teaspoon flaky sea salt
100g natural yoghurt

Boil the potatoes for 9 minutes, then pour off the liquid and leave to steam dry for a minute. At the same time, put the paneer cubes in a bowl of boiling water for five minutes, then remove water and dry gently.

Tip the spice seeds into a pestle and mortar or blender, add the peppercorns, chilli flakes and sea salt, then mash or process to a coarse mixture.

Transfer to a large mixing bowl with the shredded aromatics, add the oil, then carefully mix in the cubed paneer, cooked potatoes and red onions to coat. Skewer the components on to barbecue sticks, then transfer to a baking sheet and reserve for later – if you like, you can at this stage wrap and chill the skewers.

Beat all the ingredients for the dressing in a container. 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 beginning to blacken. (This may take a little more or less time depending on the fierceness of your grill, so keep an eye on them, especially when cooking the first side.)

Offer the grilled sticks immediately, scattered with a little more sea salt and the sauce on the side for serving.