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One was delighted to discover that the south Indian spice mix podi – a coarse mix of intensely spicy, crudely milled spices, which you combine with a little oil and use as a sauce for dosa or idli – is also known as “gunpowder” blend. This is accurate if you were using my grandmother’s homemade dried chilies, but it would be generous to say that I’m far less adventurous with chilli, so here I suggest red pepper flakes instead. It’s an exceptionally great marinade for these paneer and potato skewers.

Spicy Paneer and Potato Skewers with Citrus-Mint Dressing

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

Prep 10 min
Cook half an hour
Serves a couple

Four hundred grams waxy potatoes, chopped into four-centimeter chunks
Two hundred twenty-five grams paneer, cubed into 0.8-inch cubes
1 tsp coriander seeds
Half a teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
One teaspoon black peppercorns
One tsp chilli flakes
1½ teaspoon flaky sea salt, with more for serving
Two garlic pieces, prepared and minced
2½cm piece fresh ginger, prepared and minced
40ml neutral oil
One red onion, skinned and sliced into eight wedges, then cut in half horizontally

For the dressing
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime
0.35 ounces fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
Half a tsp flaky sea salt
3.5 ounces natural yoghurt

Boil the potatoes for nine minutes, then pour off the liquid and allow to air dry for a minute. In the interim, put the paneer cubes in a pot of hot water for five minutes, then drain and pat dry.

Tip the coriander, fennel and cumin seeds into a pestle and mortar or blender, add the seasonings, then pound or blitz to a rough rubble.

Place in a large mixing bowl with the shredded aromatics, add the oil, then gently stir in the ingredients to coat. Skewer the paneer, potatoes and onions on to the prepared skewers, then move to a sheet pan and keep ready – if desired, you can at this stage cover and refrigerate the skewers.

Beat all the dressing components in a mixing bowl. Preheat the broiler to its maximum heat, then bake the sticks for a short time 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 monitor closely, especially when cooking the first side.)

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