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I was delighted to discover that the South Indian spice mix podi – a coarse mix of searingly hot, coarsely crushed spices, which you combine with a little oil and use as a accompaniment for dosa or idli – is also known as “gunpowder” seasoning. That’s not a misnomer if you were using my grandmother’s personally dried peppers, 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 exceptionally great marinade for these paneer and potato skewers.

Spicy Paneer and Potato Skewers with Mint-Lime Dressing

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

Prep a quick 10 minutes
Cook 30 minutes
Serves two people

400g starchy potatoes, chopped into 4cm chunks
Two hundred twenty-five grams paneer, diced into 0.8-inch cubes
One tsp coriander seeds
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
One tsp cumin seeds
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
One tsp chilli flakes
1½ tsp flaky sea salt, with more for serving
Two cloves of garlic, prepared and minced
2½cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
40ml neutral oil
One red onion, peeled and cut into eight wedges, then halved crossways

For the dressing
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime
10g fresh mint leaves, minced
½ teaspoon flaky sea salt
100g natural yoghurt

Simmer the potatoes for 9 minutes, then drain them and let them dry from steam for a minute. In the interim, put the paneer cubes in a bowl of boiling water for 5 minutes, then remove water and dry gently.

Add the cumin, coriander, and fennel seeds into a grinding bowl or mill, add the seasonings, then crush or grind to a coarse mixture.

Place in a large mixing bowl with the grated garlic and ginger, add the oil, then carefully mix in the cubed paneer, cooked potatoes and red onions to coat. Skewer the paneer, potatoes and onions on to six to eight metal or soaked wooden skewers, then transfer to a baking sheet and reserve for later – if you like, you can at this stage wrap and chill the skewers.

Whisk all the dressing components in a mixing bowl. Turn on the grill to its maximum heat, then grill the skewers for five to seven minutes on each side, until the paneer is golden brown and the potatoes are beginning to blacken. (This may take a little more or less time depending on the intensity of your oven, so keep an eye on them, especially when cooking the first side.)

Offer the grilled sticks immediately, topped with a little more salt and the sauce on the side for serving.