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I was delighted to discover that the traditional Indian blend podi – a rubble of fiery, roughly ground spices, which you stir into a little oil and use as a sauce for dosa or idli – is also known as “gunpowder” blend. 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 crushed chilies 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 barbecue sticks (if made of wood, immerse them in water for 10 minutes first).

Prep 10 min
Cook half an hour
Serves two people

Four hundred grams waxy potatoes, chopped into 4cm chunks
225g paneer, diced into 2cm cubes
One tsp coriander seeds
Half a tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
One tsp black peppercorns
One teaspoon chilli flakes
1½ teaspoon flaky sea salt, plus extra to serve
2 garlic pieces, prepared and minced
1-inch piece fresh ginger, skinned and shredded
Forty milliliters flavorless 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, minced
½ teaspoon flaky sea salt
One hundred grams natural yoghurt

Cook the potatoes for 9 minutes, then drain them and let them dry from steam for a minute. Meanwhile, put the paneer cubes in a bowl of boiling water for 5 minutes, then drain and pat dry.

Tip the spice seeds into a mortar or spice grinder, add the seasonings, then crush or grind to a rough rubble.

Transfer to a medium-large bowl with the shredded aromatics, add the oil, then lightly combine with the cubed paneer, cooked potatoes and red onions to coat. Arrange the vegetables and cheese on to the prepared skewers, then transfer to a baking sheet and keep ready – if you like, you can at this stage cover and refrigerate the skewers.

Beat all the ingredients for the dressing in a mixing bowl. Heat the grill to its highest setting, then grill the skewers for five to seven minutes on each side, until the paneer is golden brown and the potatoes are starting to char. (This may take a variable duration depending on the heat of your broiler, so keep an eye on them, especially when cooking the first side.)

Present the skewers warm, scattered with a little more salt and the sauce on the side for serving.