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I found with joy that the traditional Indian spice mix podi – a coarse mix of fiery, crudely milled spices, which you mix with a little oil and use as a accompaniment for dosa or idli – is also known as “gunpowder” blend. 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 daring with chilli, so here I suggest chilli flakes instead. It’s an remarkably tasty marinade for these paneer and potato skewers.

Gunpowder Paneer and Potato Skewers with Mint-Lime Dressing

You will need six to eight skewers made of metal or wood (if bamboo, soak them in water for 10 minutes first).

Prep 10 min
Cook 30 min
Serves a couple

400g starchy potatoes, chopped into 4cm chunks
8 ounces paneer, cubed into two-centimeter cubes
One tsp coriander seeds
½ tsp fennel seeds
One teaspoon cumin seeds
One teaspoon black peppercorns
One tsp chilli flakes
One and a half tsp flaky sea salt, plus extra to serve
2 garlic pieces, skinned and shredded
Two and a half centimeters piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
about 3 tablespoons mild oil
1 red onion, peeled and cut into eight wedges, then cut in half horizontally

For the dressing
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime
10g fresh mint leaves, diced small
Half a tsp flaky sea salt
3.5 ounces natural yoghurt

Simmer the potatoes for about 10 minutes, then drain them and allow to air dry for a minute. Meanwhile, put the paneer cubes in a container with heated water for a short while, then remove water and dry gently.

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

Place in a sizable container with the shredded aromatics, add the oil, then lightly combine with the cubed paneer, cooked potatoes and red onions to coat. Skewer the vegetables and cheese on to the prepared skewers, then transfer to a baking sheet and reserve for later – if desired, you can at this stage wrap and chill the skewers.

Stir all the dressing components in a medium bowl. Preheat the broiler to its maximum heat, then grill the skewers for five to seven minutes on each side, until the paneer is browned and the potatoes are starting to char. (This may take a different amount of time depending on the intensity of your oven, so monitor closely, especially when cooking the first side.)

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