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I was delighted to discover that the traditional Indian seasoning podi – a rough grind of fiery, coarsely crushed spices, which you mix with a little oil and use as a dip for dosa or idli – is also known as “gunpowder” blend. 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 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

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

Prep a quick 10 minutes
Cook 30 min
Serves two people

Four hundred grams waxy potatoes, sliced into 4cm chunks
225g paneer, cubed into two-centimeter cubes
1 tsp coriander seeds
Half a tsp fennel seeds
One tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 teaspoon chilli flakes
1½ teaspoon flaky sea salt, plus extra to serve
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and grated
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
Forty milliliters mild oil
1 red onion, prepared and divided into eight wedges, then halved crossways

For the dressing
Zest and juice from one lime, finely grated
Ten grams fresh mint leaves, diced small
½ tsp flaky sea salt
One hundred grams natural yoghurt

Simmer the potatoes for about 10 minutes, then drain them and allow to air dry for a minute. At the same time, put the paneer cubes in a container with heated water for five minutes, then drain and pat dry.

Pour 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 shredded aromatics, add the oil, then gently stir in the paneer cubes, boiled potatoes, and onion wedges to coat. Thread the paneer, potatoes and onions on to the prepared skewers, then transfer to a baking sheet and keep ready – if desired, you can at this stage wrap and chill the skewers.

Whisk all the dressing components in a medium bowl. Heat the grill to its highest setting, then bake the sticks for a short time on each side, until the paneer is golden brown and the potatoes are getting slightly burnt. (This may take a variable duration depending on the heat of your broiler, so monitor closely, especially when cooking the first side.)

Serve the skewers hot, sprinkled with a little more salt and the accompaniment for drizzling.