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One found with joy that the South Indian seasoning podi – a coarse mix of intensely spicy, roughly ground spices, which you stir into a little oil and use as a dip for dosa or idli – is also known as “gunpowder” spice mix. It's aptly named if you were using my grandmother’s home-dried chillies, but it would be generous 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 Lime-Mint Dressing

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

Prep a quick 10 minutes
Cook 30 min
Serves 2

Four hundred grams waxy potatoes, cut into 1.5-inch chunks
225g paneer, cubed into two-centimeter cubes
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
½ tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
One teaspoon chilli flakes
One and a half tsp flaky sea salt, with more for serving
2 garlic pieces, skinned and shredded
2½cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
40ml mild oil
1 red onion, prepared and divided into eight wedges, then cut in half horizontally

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

Cook the potatoes for nine minutes, then pour off the liquid and let them dry from steam for a minute. Meanwhile, put the paneer cubes in a pot of hot water for five minutes, then drain and pat dry.

Add the spice seeds into a grinding bowl or mill, add the salt, chili flakes, and peppercorns, then mash or process to a coarse mixture.

Transfer to a medium-large bowl with the grated garlic and ginger, add the oil, then gently stir in the cubed paneer, cooked potatoes and red onions to coat. Thread the paneer, potatoes and onions on to the prepared skewers, then place on a tray and set aside until needed – optionally, you can at this stage store in the fridge the skewers.

Stir all the sauce elements in a mixing bowl. Preheat the broiler to its top temperature, then bake the sticks for five to seven minutes on each side, until the paneer is golden brown and the potatoes are beginning to blacken. (This may take a different amount of time depending on the heat of your broiler, so monitor closely, especially when cooking the first side.)

Serve the skewers hot, scattered with a little more flaky salt and the sauce on the side for serving.