🔗 Share this article

One was delighted to discover that the traditional 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” spice mix. This is accurate if you were using my grandmother’s home-dried chillies, but it would be charitable 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

Prepare six to eight barbecue sticks (if wooden, immerse them in water for 10 minutes first).

Prep 10 minutes
Cook 30 minutes
Serves two people

14 ounces waxy potatoes, cut into four-centimeter chunks
225g paneer, cut into 0.8-inch cubes
One tsp coriander seeds
Half a tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 tsp chilli flakes
One and a half tsp flaky sea salt, with more for serving
Two cloves of garlic, peeled and grated
2½cm piece fresh ginger, prepared and minced
about 3 tablespoons mild oil
One red onion, prepared and divided into eight wedges, then cut in half horizontally

For the dressing
Lime zest and juice, freshly prepared
0.35 ounces fresh mint leaves, diced small
½ tsp flaky sea salt
3.5 ounces natural yoghurt

Boil the potatoes for about 10 minutes, then drain them and let them dry from steam for a minute. In the interim, put the paneer cubes in a pot of hot water for five minutes, then drain and pat dry.

Add the coriander, fennel and cumin seeds into a pestle and mortar or blender, add the seasonings, then pound or blitz to a coarse mixture.

Tip into a large mixing bowl with the minced ginger and garlic, add the oil, then gently stir in the ingredients to coat. Skewer the paneer, potatoes and onions on to barbecue sticks, then place on a tray and set aside until needed – if desired, you can at this stage cover and refrigerate the skewers.

Whisk all the dressing components in a container. Preheat the broiler to its highest setting, then cook the skewers for 5–7 minutes on each side, until the paneer is golden brown and the potatoes are starting to char. (This may take a different amount of time depending on the fierceness of your grill, so watch carefully, especially when cooking the first side.)

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