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One was delighted to discover that the south Indian seasoning podi – a rough grind of fiery, coarsely crushed spices, which you stir into a little oil and use as a dip for dosa or idli – is also known as “gunpowder” spice mix. That’s not a misnomer 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 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

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

Prep a quick 10 minutes
Cook half an hour
Serves two people

400g waxy potatoes, cut into 4cm chunks
8 ounces paneer, cubed into two-centimeter cubes
1 tsp coriander seeds
Half a tsp fennel seeds
One teaspoon cumin seeds
One tsp black peppercorns
One tsp chilli flakes
One and a half tsp flaky sea salt, and additional for garnish
Two garlic pieces, prepared and minced
2½cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
about 3 tablespoons mild oil
1 red onion, peeled and cut into eight wedges, then sliced across

For the dressing
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime
Ten grams fresh mint leaves, diced small
Half a teaspoon flaky sea salt
One hundred grams natural yoghurt

Boil the potatoes for nine minutes, then remove the water and leave to steam dry for a minute. At the same time, put the paneer cubes in a pot of hot water for a short while, then remove water and dry gently.

Tip the coriander, fennel and cumin seeds into a mortar or spice grinder, add the seasonings, then mash or process to a coarse mixture.

Tip into a sizable container with the grated garlic and ginger, add the oil, then gently stir in the paneer cubes, boiled potatoes, and onion wedges to coat. Arrange the components on to barbecue sticks, then move to a sheet pan and keep ready – optionally, you can at this stage wrap and chill the skewers.

Beat all the sauce elements in a medium bowl. Turn on the grill to its maximum heat, then cook the skewers for 5–7 minutes on each side, until the paneer is crispy and the potatoes are starting to char. (This may take a little more or less time depending on the heat of your broiler, so keep an eye on them, especially when cooking the first side.)

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