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One was delighted to discover that the South Indian blend podi – a rough grind of fiery, roughly ground spices, which you stir into a little oil and use as a dip for dosa or idli – is also known as “gunpowder” blend. That’s not a misnomer if you were using my grandmother’s personally dried peppers, but it would be generous to say that I’m far less daring with chilli, so here I suggest red pepper flakes instead. It’s an extraordinarily good marinade for these paneer and potato skewers.

Gunpowder Paneer and Potato Skewers with Citrus-Mint Dressing

Gather six to eight barbecue sticks (if bamboo, soak them in water for 10 minutes first).

Prep 10 minutes
Cook 30 minutes
Serves 2

14 ounces waxy potatoes, sliced into four-centimeter chunks
Two hundred twenty-five grams paneer, diced into 0.8-inch cubes
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
One tsp cumin seeds
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
One tsp chilli flakes
One and a half tsp flaky sea salt, and additional for garnish
Two garlic cloves, peeled and grated
Two and a half centimeters piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
40ml flavorless oil
1 red onion, skinned and sliced into eight wedges, then halved crossways

For the dressing
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime
10g fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
½ teaspoon flaky sea salt
One hundred grams natural yoghurt

Cook the potatoes for about 10 minutes, then drain them and let them dry from steam for a minute. At the same time, put the paneer cubes in a bowl of boiling water for five minutes, then drain and pat dry.

Add the spice seeds into a grinding bowl or mill, add the peppercorns, chilli flakes and sea salt, then pound or blitz to a chunky blend.

Transfer to a sizable container with the shredded aromatics, add the oil, then lightly combine with the cubed paneer, cooked potatoes and red onions to coat. Arrange the vegetables and cheese on to six to eight metal or soaked wooden skewers, then transfer to a baking sheet and reserve for later – optionally, you can at this stage wrap and chill the skewers.

Beat all the ingredients for the dressing in a container. Turn on the grill to its top temperature, then cook the skewers for five to seven minutes on each side, until the paneer is browned and the potatoes are beginning to blacken. (This may take a variable duration depending on the heat of your broiler, so keep an eye on them, especially when cooking the first side.)

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