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I was delighted to discover that the traditional Indian blend podi – a coarse mix of intensely spicy, roughly ground spices, which you combine with a little oil and use as a accompaniment 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 generous to say that I’m far less bold with chilli, so here I suggest crushed chilies instead. It’s an remarkably tasty marinade for these paneer and potato skewers.

Spicy Paneer and Potato Skewers with Mint-Lime Dressing

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

Prep a quick 10 minutes
Cook 30 minutes
Serves a couple

Four hundred grams waxy potatoes, chopped into 4cm chunks
Two hundred twenty-five grams paneer, diced into two-centimeter cubes
One tsp coriander seeds
Half a teaspoon fennel seeds
One tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp black peppercorns
One tsp chilli flakes
1½ tsp flaky sea salt, with more for serving
2 garlic cloves, prepared and minced
2½cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
Forty milliliters mild oil
1 red onion, skinned and sliced into eight wedges, then halved crossways

For the dressing
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime
Ten grams fresh mint leaves, minced
Half a tsp flaky sea salt
100g natural yoghurt

Boil the potatoes for nine minutes, then pour off the liquid and let them dry from steam for a minute. In the interim, put the paneer cubes in a container with heated water for a short while, then drain and pat dry.

Tip the coriander, fennel and cumin seeds into a pestle and mortar or blender, 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 carefully mix in the ingredients to coat. Skewer the components on to barbecue sticks, then place on a tray and set aside until needed – if you like, you can at this stage wrap and chill the skewers.

Whisk all the dressing components in a medium bowl. Turn on the grill to its maximum heat, then cook the skewers for a short time on each side, until the paneer is crispy and the potatoes are beginning to blacken. (This may take a variable duration depending on the intensity of your oven, so watch carefully, especially when cooking the first side.)

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