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I was delighted to discover that the traditional Indian seasoning podi – a coarse mix of searingly hot, crudely milled spices, which you stir into a little oil and use as a sauce for dosa or idli – is also known as “gunpowder” seasoning. This is accurate if you were using my grandmother’s home-dried chillies, but it would be generous 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.

Gunpowder Paneer and Potato Skewers with Citrus-Mint Dressing

You will need six to eight skewers made of metal or wood (if wooden, let them sit in water for 10 minutes first).

Prep 10 minutes
Cook half an hour
Serves 2

14 ounces waxy potatoes, cut into 4cm chunks
8 ounces paneer, diced into 2cm cubes
1 tsp coriander seeds
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
One tsp cumin seeds
One tsp black peppercorns
One teaspoon chilli flakes
One and a half tsp flaky sea salt, plus extra to serve
Two cloves of garlic, prepared and minced
1-inch piece fresh ginger, prepared and minced
about 3 tablespoons 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 tsp flaky sea salt
One hundred grams natural yoghurt

Simmer the potatoes for about 10 minutes, then remove the water and let them dry from steam for a minute. Meanwhile, put the paneer cubes in a bowl of boiling water for 5 minutes, then drain and pat dry.

Add the spice seeds into a mortar or spice grinder, add the peppercorns, chilli flakes and sea salt, then pound or blitz to a rough rubble.

Transfer to a sizable container with the shredded aromatics, add the oil, then gently stir in the cubed paneer, cooked potatoes and red onions to coat. Arrange the paneer, potatoes and onions on to six to eight metal or soaked wooden skewers, then move to a sheet pan and set aside until needed – optionally, you can at this stage store in the fridge the skewers.

Stir all the dressing components in a container. Heat the grill to its top temperature, then cook the skewers for a short time on each side, until the paneer is crispy and the potatoes are beginning to blacken. (This may take a different amount of time depending on the fierceness of your grill, so watch carefully, especially when cooking the first side.)

Serve the skewers hot, topped with a little more flaky salt and the sauce on the side for serving.