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I learned that the South Indian seasoning podi – a rubble of fiery, coarsely crushed spices, which you combine 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 generous to say that I’m far less daring with chilli, so here I suggest crushed chilies instead. It’s an extraordinarily good marinade for these paneer and potato skewers.

Gunpowder Paneer and Potato Skewers with Lime-Mint Dressing

Gather 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 2

400g starchy potatoes, sliced into 1.5-inch chunks
Two hundred twenty-five grams paneer, cut into two-centimeter cubes
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
Half a tsp fennel seeds
One tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp black peppercorns
One tsp chilli flakes
1½ teaspoon flaky sea salt, and additional for garnish
Two cloves of garlic, skinned and shredded
Two and a half centimeters piece fresh ginger, prepared and minced
Forty milliliters flavorless 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, minced
½ teaspoon flaky sea salt
One hundred grams natural yoghurt

Cook the potatoes for nine minutes, then remove the water and allow to air dry for a minute. In the interim, put the paneer cubes in a container with heated water for a short while, then remove water and dry gently.

Add 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.

Tip into a sizable container with the grated garlic and ginger, add the oil, then gently stir in the ingredients to coat. Arrange the vegetables and cheese on to the prepared skewers, then transfer to a baking sheet and reserve for later – if you like, you can at this stage store in the fridge the skewers.

Beat all the sauce elements in a container. Preheat the broiler to its highest setting, then cook the skewers for 5–7 minutes on each side, until the paneer is crispy and the potatoes are beginning to blacken. (This may take a little more or less time depending on the fierceness of your grill, so watch carefully, especially when cooking the first side.)

Offer the grilled sticks immediately, scattered with a little more sea salt and the accompaniment for drizzling.