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I found with joy that the South Indian seasoning podi – a rubble of searingly hot, coarsely crushed spices, which you combine with a little oil and use as a sauce for dosa or idli – is also known as “gunpowder” spice mix. It's aptly named if you were using my grandmother’s personally dried peppers, but it would be kind to say that I’m far less adventurous with chilli, so here I suggest chilli flakes instead. It’s an remarkably tasty marinade for these paneer and potato skewers.

Gunpowder Paneer and Potato Skewers with Mint-Lime Dressing

Gather six to eight barbecue sticks (if wooden, let them sit in water for 10 minutes first).

Prep a quick 10 minutes
Cook half an hour
Serves a couple

14 ounces starchy potatoes, sliced into 4cm chunks
225g paneer, diced into two-centimeter cubes
1 tsp coriander seeds
Half a teaspoon fennel seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 teaspoon chilli flakes
One and a half tsp flaky sea salt, and additional for garnish
2 garlic cloves, skinned and shredded
1-inch piece fresh ginger, skinned and shredded
Forty milliliters neutral oil
One red onion, prepared and divided into eight wedges, then cut in half horizontally

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

Simmer the potatoes for about 10 minutes, then remove the water and let them dry from steam for a minute. At the same time, put the paneer cubes in a container with heated water for a short while, then drain and pat dry.

Add 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 chunky blend.

Tip into a sizable container with the shredded aromatics, add the oil, then lightly combine with the paneer cubes, boiled potatoes, and onion wedges to coat. Arrange the paneer, potatoes and onions on to six to eight metal or soaked wooden skewers, then transfer to a baking sheet and keep ready – if you like, you can at this stage cover and refrigerate the skewers.

Stir all the sauce elements in a medium bowl. Preheat the broiler to its top temperature, then bake the sticks for five to seven minutes on each side, until the paneer is crispy and the potatoes are beginning to blacken. (This may take a different amount of time depending on the intensity of your oven, so keep an eye on them, especially when cooking the first side.)

Present the skewers warm, sprinkled with a little more flaky salt and the dressing alongside for dipping.