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One was delighted to discover that the South Indian seasoning podi – a rubble of searingly hot, roughly ground spices, which you mix with a little oil and use as a accompaniment for dosa or idli – is also known as “gunpowder” spice mix. This is accurate if you were using my grandmother’s personally dried peppers, but it would be charitable to say that I’m far less daring with chilli, so here I suggest crushed chilies instead. It’s an extraordinarily good marinade for these paneer and potato skewers.

Spicy Paneer and Potato Skewers with Citrus-Mint Dressing

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

Prep a quick 10 minutes
Cook 30 min
Serves a couple

400g starchy potatoes, sliced into 1.5-inch chunks
Two hundred twenty-five grams paneer, cut into two-centimeter cubes
One teaspoon coriander seeds
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
One teaspoon cumin seeds
One tsp black peppercorns
One teaspoon chilli flakes
1½ tsp flaky sea salt, plus extra to serve
Two garlic cloves, prepared and minced
2½cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
40ml flavorless oil
1 red onion, peeled and cut into eight wedges, then cut in half horizontally

For the dressing
Zest and juice from one lime, finely grated
0.35 ounces fresh mint leaves, minced
½ tsp flaky sea salt
3.5 ounces natural yoghurt

Boil the potatoes for nine minutes, then drain them and allow to air dry for a minute. Meanwhile, put the paneer cubes in a container with heated water for a short while, then strain and blot dry.

Pour the coriander, fennel and cumin seeds into a mortar or spice grinder, add the peppercorns, chilli flakes and sea salt, then crush or grind to a coarse mixture.

Transfer to a medium-large bowl with the minced ginger and garlic, add the oil, then lightly combine with the cubed paneer, cooked potatoes and red onions to coat. Arrange the components on to six to eight metal or soaked wooden skewers, then move to a sheet pan and reserve for later – optionally, you can at this stage wrap and chill the skewers.

Beat all the ingredients for the dressing in a mixing bowl. Preheat the broiler to its highest setting, then bake the sticks 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 heat of your broiler, so watch carefully, especially when cooking the first side.)

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