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One found with joy that the south Indian spice mix podi – a rough grind of intensely spicy, coarsely crushed spices, which you mix with a little oil and use as a accompaniment for dosa or idli – is also known as “gunpowder” blend. That’s not a misnomer if you were using my grandmother’s home-dried chillies, 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 extraordinarily good marinade for these paneer and potato skewers.

Spicy Paneer and Potato Skewers with Citrus-Mint Dressing

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

Prep 10 minutes
Cook 30 min
Serves 2

14 ounces starchy potatoes, cut into 1.5-inch chunks
8 ounces paneer, cubed into two-centimeter 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 tsp flaky sea salt, plus extra to serve
Two cloves of garlic, prepared and minced
1-inch piece fresh ginger, prepared and minced
Forty milliliters flavorless oil
One red onion, prepared and divided into eight wedges, then sliced across

For the dressing
Zest and juice from one lime, finely grated
10g fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
½ tsp flaky sea salt
100g natural yoghurt

Simmer the potatoes for about 10 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 a short while, then remove water and dry gently.

Pour the coriander, fennel and cumin seeds into a grinding bowl or mill, add the peppercorns, chilli flakes and sea salt, then crush or grind to a chunky blend.

Transfer to a sizable container with the minced ginger and garlic, add the oil, then carefully mix in the ingredients to coat. Thread the components on to six to eight metal or soaked wooden 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 top temperature, then grill the skewers for 5–7 minutes on each side, until the paneer is golden brown and the potatoes are starting to char. (This may take a little more or less time depending on the heat of your broiler, so monitor closely, especially when cooking the first side.)

Offer the grilled sticks immediately, sprinkled with a little more sea salt and the dressing alongside for dipping.