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I found with joy that the South Indian spice mix podi – a rough grind of fiery, roughly ground spices, which you mix with a little oil and use as a accompaniment for dosa or idli – is also known as “gunpowder” spice mix. 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 red pepper flakes instead. It’s an remarkably tasty marinade for these paneer and potato skewers.

Spicy Paneer and Potato Skewers with Mint-Lime Dressing

Prepare six to eight metal or wooden skewers (if made of wood, soak them in water for 10 minutes first).

Prep a quick 10 minutes
Cook half an hour
Serves a couple

Four hundred grams firm potatoes, sliced into 4cm chunks
8 ounces paneer, diced into two-centimeter cubes
One tsp coriander seeds
Half a tsp fennel seeds
One tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp chilli flakes
One and a half tsp flaky sea salt, and additional for garnish
Two garlic cloves, skinned and shredded
1-inch piece fresh ginger, skinned and shredded
40ml flavorless oil
1 red onion, peeled and cut into eight wedges, then cut in half horizontally

For the dressing
Lime zest and juice, freshly prepared
0.35 ounces fresh mint leaves, minced
Half a tsp flaky sea salt
One hundred grams natural yoghurt

Cook the potatoes for nine minutes, then remove the water and allow to air dry for a minute. At the same time, put the paneer cubes in a pot of hot water for 5 minutes, then remove water and dry gently.

Tip the cumin, coriander, and fennel seeds into a pestle and mortar or blender, add the peppercorns, chilli flakes and sea salt, then pound or blitz to a chunky blend.

Transfer to 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. Arrange the paneer, potatoes and onions on to barbecue sticks, then place on a tray and set aside until needed – if you like, you can at this stage wrap and chill the skewers.

Stir all the ingredients for the dressing in a medium bowl. Heat the grill to its maximum heat, then bake the sticks for 5–7 minutes on each side, until the paneer is crispy and the potatoes are starting to char. (This may take a variable duration depending on the intensity of your oven, so monitor closely, especially when cooking the first side.)

Offer the grilled sticks immediately, sprinkled with a little more sea salt and the sauce on the side for serving.