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One learned that the south Indian blend podi – a coarse mix of fiery, crudely milled spices, which you stir into a little oil and use as a sauce for dosa or idli – is also known as “gunpowder” spice mix. That’s not a misnomer if you were using my grandmother’s personally dried peppers, but it would be kind 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

Prepare six to eight skewers made of metal or wood (if made of wood, let them sit in water for 10 minutes first).

Prep 10 minutes
Cook 30 min
Serves two people

14 ounces starchy potatoes, sliced into 4cm chunks
225g paneer, diced into 0.8-inch cubes
1 tsp coriander seeds
Half a teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
One teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon chilli flakes
1½ teaspoon flaky sea salt, and additional for garnish
2 garlic pieces, skinned and shredded
2½cm piece fresh ginger, skinned and shredded
40ml flavorless oil
One red onion, skinned and sliced into eight wedges, then cut in half horizontally

For the dressing
Zest and juice from one lime, finely grated
10g fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
½ teaspoon flaky sea salt
One hundred grams natural yoghurt

Cook the potatoes for about 10 minutes, then drain them and allow to air dry for a minute. At the same time, put the paneer cubes in a container with heated water for 5 minutes, then remove water and dry gently.

Add the cumin, coriander, and fennel seeds into a grinding bowl or mill, add the peppercorns, chilli flakes and sea salt, then mash or process to a chunky blend.

Place in a medium-large bowl with the minced ginger and garlic, add the oil, then lightly combine with the ingredients to coat. Skewer the vegetables and cheese on to six to eight metal or soaked wooden skewers, then place on a tray and reserve for later – if desired, you can at this stage wrap and chill the skewers.

Beat all the dressing components 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 getting slightly burnt. (This may take a little more or less time depending on the fierceness of your grill, so keep an eye on them, especially when cooking the first side.)

Offer the grilled sticks immediately, topped with a little more sea salt and the dressing alongside for dipping.