🔗 Share this article

I found with joy that the traditional Indian spice mix podi – a rubble of intensely spicy, coarsely crushed spices, which you stir into a little oil and use as a dip for dosa or idli – is also known as “gunpowder” blend. This is accurate if you were using my grandmother’s home-dried chillies, 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 exceptionally great marinade for these paneer and potato skewers.

Spicy Paneer and Potato Skewers with Lime-Mint Dressing

Prepare six to eight barbecue sticks (if made of wood, soak them in water for 10 minutes first).

Prep 10 minutes
Cook 30 minutes
Serves two people

14 ounces waxy potatoes, cut into 1.5-inch chunks
225g paneer, cubed into 2cm cubes
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
Half a teaspoon fennel seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
One tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp chilli flakes
1½ tsp flaky sea salt, with more for serving
2 cloves of garlic, prepared and minced
Two and a half centimeters piece fresh ginger, prepared and minced
40ml mild oil
1 red onion, prepared and divided into eight wedges, then sliced across

For the dressing
Zest and juice from one lime, finely grated
Ten grams fresh mint leaves, minced
Half a tsp flaky sea salt
100g natural yoghurt

Cook the potatoes for nine minutes, then remove the water and allow to air dry for a minute. Meanwhile, put the paneer cubes in a container with heated water for 5 minutes, then remove water and dry gently.

Tip the spice seeds into a mortar or spice grinder, add the peppercorns, chilli flakes and sea salt, then mash or process to a chunky blend.

Tip into a medium-large bowl with the grated garlic and ginger, add the oil, then carefully mix in the ingredients to coat. Skewer the paneer, potatoes and onions on to the prepared skewers, then place on a tray and keep ready – if desired, you can at this stage wrap and chill the skewers.

Stir all the dressing components in a container. Turn on the grill to its top temperature, then bake the sticks for 5–7 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 fierceness of your grill, so watch carefully, especially when cooking the first side.)

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