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I learned that the traditional Indian seasoning podi – a rough grind of searingly hot, coarsely crushed spices, which you mix 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 homemade dried chilies, 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 remarkably tasty marinade for these paneer and potato skewers.

Spicy Paneer and Potato Skewers with Lime-Mint Dressing

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

Prep a quick 10 minutes
Cook 30 min
Serves two people

400g starchy potatoes, sliced into four-centimeter chunks
225g paneer, cubed into 2cm cubes
1 tsp coriander seeds
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp chilli flakes
One and a half tsp flaky sea salt, and additional for garnish
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and grated
2½cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
Forty milliliters neutral oil
1 red onion, peeled and cut into eight wedges, then sliced across

For the dressing
Zest and juice from one lime, finely grated
Ten grams fresh mint leaves, minced
½ tsp flaky sea salt
3.5 ounces natural yoghurt

Cook the potatoes for about 10 minutes, then remove the water and leave to steam dry for a minute. Meanwhile, put the paneer cubes in a pot of hot water for a short while, then strain and blot dry.

Tip the spice seeds into a pestle and mortar or blender, add the peppercorns, chilli flakes and sea salt, then crush or grind to a rough rubble.

Place in a large mixing bowl with the minced ginger and garlic, add the oil, then carefully mix in the cubed paneer, cooked potatoes and red onions to coat. Arrange the paneer, potatoes and onions on to barbecue sticks, then place on a tray and set aside until needed – if desired, you can at this stage cover and refrigerate the skewers.

Whisk all the ingredients for the dressing in a medium bowl. Heat the grill to its maximum heat, then grill the skewers for 5–7 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 intensity of your oven, so keep an eye on them, especially when cooking the first side.)

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