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One was delighted to discover that the South Indian spice mix podi – a coarse mix of searingly hot, crudely milled spices, which you stir into 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 home-dried chillies, 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

Gather six to eight barbecue sticks (if wooden, let them sit in water for 10 minutes first).

Prep 10 minutes
Cook 30 minutes
Serves two people

400g starchy potatoes, cut into 4cm chunks
Two hundred twenty-five grams paneer, cubed into 2cm cubes
1 tsp coriander seeds
Half a teaspoon fennel seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
One tsp black peppercorns
One teaspoon chilli flakes
One and a half teaspoon flaky sea salt, with more for serving
Two garlic pieces, peeled and grated
2½cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
40ml neutral oil
1 red onion, prepared and divided into eight wedges, then sliced across

For the dressing
Lime zest and juice, freshly prepared
10g fresh mint leaves, diced small
Half a tsp flaky sea salt
3.5 ounces natural yoghurt

Cook the potatoes for 9 minutes, then pour off the liquid and let them dry from steam for a minute. In the interim, put the paneer cubes in a bowl of boiling water for 5 minutes, 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 coarse mixture.

Tip into a medium-large bowl with the minced ginger and garlic, add the oil, then carefully mix in the cubed paneer, cooked potatoes and red onions to coat. Arrange the components on to barbecue sticks, then transfer to a baking sheet and reserve for later – if desired, you can at this stage cover and refrigerate the skewers.

Beat all the dressing components in a medium bowl. Preheat the broiler to its top temperature, then bake the sticks for a short time on each side, until the paneer is golden brown and the potatoes are beginning to blacken. (This may take a different amount of time depending on the fierceness of your grill, so watch carefully, especially when cooking the first side.)

Present the skewers warm, sprinkled with a little more salt and the dressing alongside for dipping.