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One learned that the south Indian blend podi – a coarse mix of intensely spicy, crudely milled spices, which you mix with a little oil and use as a sauce for dosa or idli – is also known as “gunpowder” spice mix. This is accurate if you were using my grandmother’s personally dried peppers, but it would be kind to say that I’m far less adventurous with chilli, so here I suggest chilli flakes instead. It’s an remarkably tasty marinade for these paneer and potato skewers.

Spicy Paneer and Potato Skewers with Lime-Mint Dressing

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

Prep a quick 10 minutes
Cook 30 minutes
Serves 2

14 ounces waxy potatoes, sliced into 1.5-inch chunks
Two hundred twenty-five grams paneer, diced into two-centimeter cubes
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
½ tsp fennel seeds
One tsp cumin seeds
One tsp black peppercorns
One teaspoon chilli flakes
One and a half tsp flaky sea salt, with more for serving
Two garlic cloves, skinned and shredded
1-inch piece fresh ginger, skinned and shredded
Forty milliliters mild oil
1 red onion, prepared and divided into eight wedges, then sliced across

For the dressing
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime
Ten grams fresh mint leaves, minced
Half a tsp flaky sea salt
One hundred grams natural yoghurt

Cook the potatoes for 9 minutes, then remove the water and let them dry from steam for a minute. At the same time, put the paneer cubes in a container with heated water for five minutes, then strain and blot dry.

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

Place in a sizable container with the minced ginger and garlic, add the oil, then carefully mix in the paneer cubes, boiled potatoes, and onion wedges to coat. Skewer the components on to barbecue sticks, then transfer to a baking sheet and set aside until needed – if desired, you can at this stage wrap and chill the skewers.

Beat all the ingredients for the dressing in a container. Heat the grill to its top temperature, then bake the sticks for five to seven 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 intensity of your oven, so keep an eye on them, especially when cooking the first side.)

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