🔗 Share this article

One found with joy that the south Indian spice mix podi – a rough grind of intensely spicy, roughly ground spices, which you mix with 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 homemade dried chilies, but it would be charitable 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.

Gunpowder Paneer and Potato Skewers with Citrus-Mint Dressing

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

Prep 10 min
Cook half an hour
Serves a couple

14 ounces waxy potatoes, chopped into 4cm chunks
225g paneer, diced into two-centimeter cubes
1 tsp coriander seeds
Half a tsp fennel seeds
One tsp cumin seeds
One tsp black peppercorns
One tsp chilli flakes
1½ teaspoon flaky sea salt, with more for serving
2 garlic cloves, peeled and grated
Two and a half centimeters piece fresh ginger, prepared and minced
40ml neutral oil
1 red onion, skinned and sliced into eight wedges, then cut in half horizontally

For the dressing
Zest and juice from one lime, finely grated
10g fresh mint leaves, minced
½ tsp flaky sea salt
100g natural yoghurt

Boil the potatoes for about 10 minutes, then pour off the liquid 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.

Pour the spice seeds into a pestle and mortar or blender, add the salt, chili flakes, and peppercorns, then pound or blitz to a coarse mixture.

Place in a sizable container with the minced ginger and garlic, add the oil, then carefully mix in the cubed paneer, cooked potatoes and red onions to coat. Arrange the components on to the prepared skewers, then move to a sheet pan and keep ready – optionally, you can at this stage cover and refrigerate the skewers.

Beat all the sauce elements in a mixing bowl. Heat the grill to its top temperature, then grill the skewers for five to seven minutes on each side, until the paneer is crispy and the potatoes are beginning to blacken. (This may take a little more or less time depending on the fierceness of your grill, so monitor closely, especially when cooking the first side.)

Serve the skewers hot, sprinkled with a little more salt and the dressing alongside for dipping.