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One found with joy that the traditional Indian blend podi – a coarse mix of searingly hot, roughly ground spices, which you combine with a little oil and use as a dip 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 kind to say that I’m far less bold 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 Citrus-Mint Dressing

Prepare six to eight barbecue sticks (if wooden, let them sit in water for 10 minutes first).

Prep 10 min
Cook 30 min
Serves a couple

400g firm potatoes, cut into four-centimeter chunks
8 ounces paneer, cubed into 2cm cubes
One teaspoon coriander seeds
Half a tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 tsp chilli flakes
One and a half tsp flaky sea salt, and additional for garnish
2 garlic pieces, skinned and shredded
Two and a half centimeters piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
Forty milliliters neutral oil
1 red onion, prepared and divided into eight wedges, then sliced across

For the dressing
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime
10g fresh mint leaves, diced small
½ tsp flaky sea salt
100g natural yoghurt

Cook the potatoes for nine minutes, then remove the water and leave to steam dry for a minute. Meanwhile, 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 crush or grind to a chunky blend.

Place in a large mixing bowl with the shredded aromatics, add the oil, then gently stir in the cubed paneer, cooked potatoes and red onions to coat. Thread the components on to barbecue sticks, then transfer to a baking sheet and reserve for later – if you like, you can at this stage cover and refrigerate the skewers.

Stir all the dressing components in a medium bowl. Turn on the grill to its highest setting, then cook the skewers for a short time on each side, until the paneer is browned and the potatoes are getting slightly burnt. (This may take a little more or less time depending on the fierceness of your grill, so monitor closely, especially when cooking the first side.)

Present the skewers warm, scattered with a little more sea salt and the accompaniment for drizzling.