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I found with joy that the south Indian seasoning podi – a rough grind of fiery, crudely milled spices, which you combine with a little oil and use as a dip for dosa or idli – is also known as “gunpowder” blend. 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 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 Mint-Lime Dressing

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

Prep a quick 10 minutes
Cook 30 minutes
Serves 2

Four hundred grams waxy potatoes, cut into 4cm chunks
225g paneer, diced into two-centimeter cubes
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
Half a tsp fennel seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
One tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp chilli flakes
One and a half teaspoon flaky sea salt, plus extra to serve
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and grated
2½cm piece fresh ginger, prepared and minced
about 3 tablespoons flavorless oil
One red onion, prepared and divided into eight wedges, then halved crossways

For the dressing
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime
10g fresh mint leaves, minced
Half a tsp flaky sea salt
One hundred grams natural yoghurt

Cook the potatoes for about 10 minutes, then remove the water and allow to air dry for a minute. In the interim, put the paneer cubes in a pot of hot water for a short while, then strain and blot dry.

Add the cumin, coriander, and fennel seeds into a pestle and mortar or blender, add the seasonings, then crush or grind to a coarse mixture.

Tip into a large mixing bowl with the minced ginger and garlic, add the oil, then gently stir in the paneer cubes, boiled potatoes, and onion wedges to coat. Thread the components on to barbecue sticks, then move to a sheet pan and reserve for later – if desired, you can at this stage store in the fridge the skewers.

Whisk all the ingredients for the dressing in a mixing bowl. Preheat the broiler to its top temperature, then cook the skewers for a short time on each side, until the paneer is browned and the potatoes are starting to char. (This may take a different amount of time depending on the intensity of your oven, so keep an eye on them, especially when cooking the first side.)

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