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I was delighted to discover that the traditional Indian spice mix podi – a rough grind of searingly hot, crudely milled 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 bold 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 Mint-Lime Dressing

You will need six to eight barbecue sticks (if made of wood, soak them in water for 10 minutes first).

Prep a quick 10 minutes
Cook 30 minutes
Serves two people

Four hundred grams starchy potatoes, chopped into 1.5-inch chunks
Two hundred twenty-five grams paneer, diced into 0.8-inch cubes
1 tsp coriander seeds
½ tsp fennel seeds
One tsp cumin seeds
One teaspoon black peppercorns
One tsp chilli flakes
One and a half tsp flaky sea salt, and additional for garnish
Two garlic cloves, peeled and grated
2½cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
about 3 tablespoons flavorless oil
1 red onion, prepared and divided into eight wedges, then cut in half horizontally

For the dressing
Lime zest and juice, freshly prepared
0.35 ounces fresh mint leaves, diced small
Half a tsp flaky sea salt
One hundred grams natural yoghurt

Boil the potatoes for about 10 minutes, then remove the water and let them dry from steam for a minute. At the same time, put the paneer cubes in a container with heated water for 5 minutes, then drain and pat dry.

Tip the coriander, fennel and cumin seeds into a pestle and mortar or blender, add the salt, chili flakes, and peppercorns, then crush or grind to a coarse mixture.

Transfer to a sizable container with the minced ginger and garlic, add the oil, then gently stir in the cubed paneer, cooked potatoes and red onions to coat. Arrange the components on to barbecue sticks, then transfer to a baking sheet and set aside until needed – if you like, you can at this stage wrap and chill the skewers.

Whisk 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 crispy and the potatoes are beginning to blacken. (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.)

Present the skewers warm, sprinkled with a little more salt and the sauce on the side for serving.