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I was delighted to discover that the South Indian seasoning podi – a rubble of fiery, crudely milled spices, which you combine with a little oil and use as a accompaniment for dosa or idli – is also known as “gunpowder” seasoning. It's aptly named if you were using my grandmother’s home-dried chillies, but it would be charitable to say that I’m far less adventurous 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 Lime-Mint Dressing

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

Prep 10 minutes
Cook 30 min
Serves a couple

Four hundred grams firm potatoes, cut into 1.5-inch chunks
225g paneer, diced into 2cm cubes
One tsp coriander seeds
½ tsp fennel seeds
One teaspoon cumin seeds
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp chilli flakes
1½ teaspoon flaky sea salt, with more for serving
Two cloves of garlic, prepared and minced
2½cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
Forty milliliters neutral oil
1 red onion, peeled and cut into eight wedges, then sliced across

For the dressing
Zest and juice from one lime, finely grated
0.35 ounces fresh mint leaves, diced small
Half a teaspoon flaky sea salt
100g natural yoghurt

Boil the potatoes for nine minutes, then drain them 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.

Pour the coriander, fennel and cumin seeds into a grinding bowl or mill, add the salt, chili flakes, and peppercorns, then pound or blitz to a rough rubble.

Tip into a large mixing bowl with the minced ginger and garlic, add the oil, then carefully mix in the cubed paneer, cooked potatoes and red onions to coat. Skewer the paneer, potatoes and onions on to six to eight metal or soaked wooden skewers, then move to a sheet pan and reserve for later – if desired, you can at this stage store in the fridge the skewers.

Stir all the dressing components in a mixing bowl. Preheat the broiler to its highest setting, then cook the skewers for 5–7 minutes on each side, until the paneer is browned and the potatoes are beginning to blacken. (This may take a different amount of time depending on the heat of your broiler, so watch carefully, especially when cooking the first side.)

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