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One found with joy that the South Indian seasoning podi – a coarse mix of fiery, coarsely crushed spices, which you mix 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 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 exceptionally great marinade for these paneer and potato skewers.

Spicy Paneer and Potato Skewers with Citrus-Mint Dressing

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

Prep 10 min
Cook 30 minutes
Serves two people

400g waxy potatoes, cut into four-centimeter chunks
Two hundred twenty-five grams paneer, diced into 0.8-inch cubes
1 tsp coriander seeds
Half a tsp fennel seeds
One tsp cumin seeds
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
One tsp chilli flakes
1½ teaspoon flaky sea salt, with more for serving
Two cloves of garlic, peeled and grated
2½cm piece fresh ginger, prepared and minced
about 3 tablespoons mild oil
One red onion, peeled and cut into eight wedges, then sliced across

For the dressing
Lime zest and juice, freshly prepared
10g 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 let them dry from steam for a minute. Meanwhile, put the paneer cubes in a container with heated water for a short while, then drain and pat dry.

Add the spice seeds into a pestle and mortar or blender, add the seasonings, then pound or blitz to a rough rubble.

Transfer to a sizable container with the shredded aromatics, add the oil, then lightly combine with the paneer cubes, boiled potatoes, and onion wedges to coat. Arrange the components on to the prepared skewers, then move to a sheet pan and keep ready – if you like, you can at this stage wrap and chill the skewers.

Whisk all the ingredients for the dressing in a medium bowl. Turn on the grill to its top temperature, then grill the skewers for a short time on each side, until the paneer is golden brown and the potatoes are getting slightly burnt. (This may take a different amount of time depending on the heat of your broiler, so keep an eye on them, especially when cooking the first side.)

Serve the skewers hot, topped with a little more sea salt and the sauce on the side for serving.