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I was delighted to discover that the traditional Indian spice mix podi – a rubble of searingly hot, crudely milled spices, which you mix with a little oil and use as a sauce for dosa or idli – is also known as “gunpowder” blend. It's aptly named if you were using my grandmother’s homemade dried chilies, but it would be generous 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.

Gunpowder Paneer and Potato Skewers with Lime-Mint Dressing

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

Prep 10 minutes
Cook half an hour
Serves 2

14 ounces firm potatoes, cut into 1.5-inch chunks
225g paneer, diced into 0.8-inch cubes
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
½ tsp fennel seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
One teaspoon chilli flakes
One and a half tsp flaky sea salt, and additional for garnish
Two cloves of garlic, peeled and grated
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
about 3 tablespoons flavorless oil
One red onion, skinned and sliced into eight wedges, then sliced across

For the dressing
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime
0.35 ounces fresh mint leaves, diced small
Half a tsp flaky sea salt
100g natural yoghurt

Boil the potatoes for about 10 minutes, then pour off the liquid and allow to air dry for a minute. Meanwhile, put the paneer cubes in a bowl of boiling water for five minutes, then remove water and dry gently.

Pour the spice seeds into a mortar or spice grinder, add the peppercorns, chilli flakes and sea salt, then crush or grind to a rough rubble.

Tip into a large mixing bowl with the grated garlic and ginger, add the oil, then lightly combine with the cubed paneer, cooked potatoes and red onions to coat. Skewer the paneer, potatoes and onions on to the prepared skewers, then transfer to a baking sheet and reserve for later – if you like, you can at this stage cover and refrigerate the skewers.

Stir all the sauce elements in a container. Heat the grill 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 beginning to blacken. (This may take a variable duration depending on the heat of your broiler, so monitor closely, especially when cooking the first side.)

Offer the grilled sticks immediately, scattered with a little more sea salt and the accompaniment for drizzling.