Rukmini Iyer's Quick and Easy Spicy Paneer and Potato Skewers with Lime-Mint Dressing – Method

One was delighted to discover that the South Indian spice mix podi – a coarse mix of searingly hot, roughly ground spices, which you mix with a little oil and use as a dip for dosa or idli – is also known as “gunpowder” blend. It's aptly named if you were using my grandmother’s home-dried chillies, 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.

Spicy Paneer and Potato Skewers with Citrus-Mint Dressing

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

Prep a quick 10 minutes
Cook 30 min
Serves 2

14 ounces firm potatoes, chopped into four-centimeter chunks
225g paneer, cut into two-centimeter cubes
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
Half a tsp fennel seeds
One tsp cumin seeds
One tsp black peppercorns
1 teaspoon chilli flakes
One and a half tsp flaky sea salt, with more for serving
Two cloves of garlic, skinned and shredded
2½cm piece fresh ginger, skinned and shredded
about 3 tablespoons neutral oil
One red onion, prepared and divided into eight wedges, then halved crossways

For the dressing
Lime zest and juice, freshly prepared
Ten grams fresh mint leaves, minced
½ tsp flaky sea salt
100g natural yoghurt

Cook the potatoes for nine minutes, then drain them and let them dry from steam for a minute. In the interim, put the paneer cubes in a container with heated water for 5 minutes, then strain and blot dry.

Add the coriander, fennel and cumin seeds into a pestle and mortar or blender, add the seasonings, then mash or process to a chunky blend.

Tip into a sizable container with the shredded aromatics, add the oil, then lightly combine with the ingredients to coat. Skewer the components on to barbecue sticks, then move to a sheet pan and keep ready – if you like, you can at this stage wrap and chill the skewers.

Stir all the ingredients for the dressing in a container. Heat the grill to its maximum heat, then cook the skewers for a short time on each side, until the paneer is browned and the potatoes are beginning to blacken. (This may take a different amount of time depending on the intensity of your oven, so watch carefully, especially when cooking the first side.)

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