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One was delighted to discover that the traditional Indian spice mix podi – a coarse mix of fiery, 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. It's aptly named if you were using my grandmother’s personally dried peppers, 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 extraordinarily good marinade for these paneer and potato skewers.

Gunpowder Paneer and Potato Skewers with Lime-Mint Dressing

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

Prep 10 min
Cook 30 min
Serves two people

Four hundred grams starchy potatoes, chopped into 4cm chunks
225g paneer, cut into 0.8-inch cubes
One tsp coriander seeds
½ tsp fennel seeds
One teaspoon cumin seeds
1 tsp black peppercorns
One tsp chilli flakes
One and a half teaspoon flaky sea salt, and additional for garnish
2 garlic pieces, skinned and shredded
1-inch piece fresh ginger, skinned and shredded
40ml flavorless oil
1 red onion, skinned and sliced into eight wedges, then sliced across

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

Simmer 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 bowl of boiling water for a short while, then strain and blot dry.

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

Place in a sizable container with the minced ginger and garlic, add the oil, then lightly combine with the ingredients to coat. Arrange the components on to barbecue sticks, then transfer to a baking sheet and reserve for later – optionally, you can at this stage store in the fridge the skewers.

Beat all the sauce elements in a container. Preheat the broiler to its top temperature, then bake the sticks for 5–7 minutes on each side, until the paneer is crispy and the potatoes are starting to char. (This may take a variable duration depending on the heat of your broiler, so monitor closely, especially when cooking the first side.)

Present the skewers warm, sprinkled with a little more salt and the accompaniment for drizzling.