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One found with joy that the traditional Indian spice mix podi – a rough grind of searingly hot, crudely milled spices, which you combine with a little oil and use as a sauce for dosa or idli – is also known as “gunpowder” blend. This is accurate if you were using my grandmother’s home-dried chillies, but it would be kind to say that I’m far less adventurous with chilli, so here I suggest crushed chilies instead. It’s an remarkably tasty marinade for these paneer and potato skewers.

Gunpowder Paneer and Potato Skewers with Lime-Mint Dressing

Gather six to eight skewers made of metal or wood (if bamboo, immerse them in water for 10 minutes first).

Prep 10 min
Cook half an hour
Serves 2

14 ounces waxy potatoes, cut into 1.5-inch chunks
8 ounces paneer, cut into two-centimeter cubes
One teaspoon coriander seeds
Half a tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
One tsp black peppercorns
One teaspoon chilli flakes
One and a half tsp flaky sea salt, with more for serving
2 cloves of garlic, skinned and shredded
2½cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
about 3 tablespoons mild 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, minced
Half a teaspoon flaky sea salt
One hundred grams natural yoghurt

Boil 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 pot of hot water for 5 minutes, then strain and blot dry.

Add the coriander, fennel and cumin seeds into a mortar or spice grinder, add the seasonings, then crush or grind to a chunky blend.

Place in a sizable container with the shredded aromatics, add the oil, then carefully mix in the cubed paneer, cooked potatoes and red onions to coat. Skewer the vegetables and cheese on to the prepared skewers, then move to a sheet pan and reserve for later – optionally, you can at this stage store in the fridge the skewers.

Stir all the sauce elements in a container. Preheat the broiler to its top temperature, then bake the sticks for a short time on each side, until the paneer is browned 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.)

Serve the skewers hot, topped with a little more flaky salt and the accompaniment for drizzling.