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One was delighted to discover that the south Indian spice mix podi – a rubble of searingly hot, crudely milled spices, which you combine with a little oil and use as a sauce for dosa or idli – is also known as “gunpowder” spice mix. It's aptly named if you were using my grandmother’s homemade dried chilies, but it would be generous to say that I’m far less adventurous with chilli, so here I suggest chilli flakes 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 metal or wooden skewers (if wooden, immerse them in water for 10 minutes first).

Prep 10 minutes
Cook half an hour
Serves 2

14 ounces starchy potatoes, chopped into 1.5-inch chunks
Two hundred twenty-five grams paneer, diced into 2cm cubes
One teaspoon coriander seeds
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
One tsp cumin seeds
One tsp black peppercorns
1 teaspoon chilli flakes
1½ tsp flaky sea salt, with more for serving
2 garlic pieces, peeled and grated
2½cm piece fresh ginger, prepared and minced
about 3 tablespoons mild oil
1 red onion, prepared and divided into eight wedges, then sliced across

For the dressing
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime
0.35 ounces fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
½ tsp flaky sea salt
100g natural yoghurt

Cook the potatoes for about 10 minutes, then drain them and let them dry from steam for a minute. In the interim, put the paneer cubes in a bowl of boiling water for a short while, then drain and pat dry.

Tip the spice seeds into a pestle and mortar or blender, add the seasonings, then mash or process to a chunky blend.

Transfer to a sizable container with the minced ginger and garlic, add the oil, then carefully mix in the ingredients to coat. Skewer the vegetables and cheese on to six to eight metal or soaked wooden skewers, then transfer to a baking sheet and keep ready – if desired, you can at this stage cover and refrigerate the skewers.

Stir all the dressing components in a medium bowl. Preheat the broiler to its maximum heat, then grill the skewers for 5–7 minutes on each side, until the paneer is crispy and the potatoes are getting slightly burnt. (This may take a different amount of time depending on the fierceness of your grill, so monitor closely, especially when cooking the first side.)

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