Rukmini Iyer's Fast and Effortless Gunpowder Paneer and Potato Skewers with Mint-Lime Dressing – Method

One was delighted to discover that the traditional Indian blend podi – a rough grind of intensely spicy, roughly ground spices, which you mix with a little oil and use as a sauce for dosa or idli – is also known as “gunpowder” seasoning. That’s not a misnomer 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.

Spicy Paneer and Potato Skewers with Mint-Lime Dressing

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

Prep 10 min
Cook half an hour
Serves 2

400g waxy potatoes, cut into 4cm chunks
225g paneer, diced into 2cm cubes
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
½ tsp fennel seeds
One tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 teaspoon chilli flakes
1½ tsp flaky sea salt, with more for serving
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and grated
1-inch piece fresh ginger, prepared and minced
Forty milliliters mild oil
One 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 pour off the liquid and let them dry from steam for a minute. At the same time, 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 peppercorns, chilli flakes and sea salt, then pound or blitz to a rough rubble.

Transfer to a medium-large bowl with the minced ginger and garlic, add the oil, then carefully mix in the paneer cubes, boiled potatoes, and onion wedges to coat. Thread the components on to the prepared skewers, then transfer to a baking sheet and keep ready – if you like, you can at this stage cover and refrigerate the skewers.

Stir all the ingredients for the dressing in a container. Turn on the grill to its top temperature, then cook the skewers for five to seven minutes on each side, until the paneer is browned and the potatoes are getting slightly burnt. (This may take a variable duration depending on the heat of your broiler, so keep an eye on them, especially when cooking the first side.)

Serve the skewers hot, topped with a little more salt and the sauce on the side for serving.