🔗 Share this article

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

Gunpowder Paneer and Potato Skewers with Citrus-Mint Dressing

Gather 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 minutes
Serves two people

Four hundred grams starchy potatoes, sliced into four-centimeter chunks
225g paneer, cubed into 2cm cubes
One tsp coriander seeds
Half a tsp fennel seeds
One teaspoon cumin seeds
One teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon chilli flakes
1½ tsp flaky sea salt, plus extra to serve
2 garlic cloves, skinned and shredded
2½cm piece fresh ginger, skinned and shredded
about 3 tablespoons 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, finely chopped
½ teaspoon flaky sea salt
3.5 ounces natural yoghurt

Boil the potatoes for about 10 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 5 minutes, then strain and blot dry.

Pour the spice seeds into a mortar or spice grinder, add the seasonings, then crush or grind to a chunky blend.

Place in a sizable container with the grated garlic and ginger, add the oil, then gently stir in the ingredients to coat. Thread the paneer, potatoes and onions on to the prepared skewers, then transfer to a baking sheet and set aside until needed – if desired, you can at this stage wrap and chill the skewers.

Beat all the ingredients for the dressing in a mixing bowl. Preheat the broiler to its maximum heat, then cook the skewers 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 keep an eye on them, especially when cooking the first side.)

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