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I found with joy that the South Indian blend podi – a rubble of searingly hot, coarsely crushed spices, which you mix with 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 charitable to say that I’m far less adventurous with chilli, so here I suggest red pepper flakes instead. It’s an extraordinarily good 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, immerse them in water for 10 minutes first).

Prep 10 minutes
Cook 30 minutes
Serves a couple

Four hundred grams waxy potatoes, sliced into 1.5-inch chunks
8 ounces paneer, cut into two-centimeter cubes
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
Half a teaspoon fennel seeds
One tsp cumin seeds
One teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon chilli flakes
1½ teaspoon flaky sea salt, plus extra to serve
Two garlic cloves, prepared and minced
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
Forty milliliters neutral oil
One red onion, peeled and cut into eight wedges, then halved crossways

For the dressing
Zest and juice from one lime, finely grated
0.35 ounces fresh mint leaves, minced
Half a teaspoon flaky sea salt
One hundred grams natural yoghurt

Boil the potatoes for nine minutes, then remove the water and allow to air dry for a minute. Meanwhile, put the paneer cubes in a pot of hot water for a short while, then remove water and dry gently.

Pour the cumin, coriander, and fennel seeds into a pestle and mortar or blender, add the seasonings, then pound or blitz to a rough rubble.

Transfer to a medium-large bowl with the minced ginger and garlic, add the oil, then lightly combine with the paneer cubes, boiled potatoes, and onion wedges to coat. Thread the paneer, potatoes and onions on to barbecue sticks, then place on a tray and keep ready – optionally, you can at this stage cover and refrigerate the skewers.

Whisk all the dressing components in a container. Preheat the broiler to its top temperature, then bake the sticks for a short time on each side, until the paneer is browned and the potatoes are getting slightly burnt. (This may take a variable duration depending on the intensity of your oven, so monitor closely, especially when cooking the first side.)

Offer the grilled sticks immediately, topped with a little more flaky salt and the sauce on the side for serving.