This Speedy and Effortless Spicy Paneer and Potato Skewers with Lime-Mint Dressing – Method

I learned that the South Indian spice mix podi – a rubble of searingly hot, crudely milled spices, which you mix with a little oil and use as a sauce for dosa or idli – is also known as “gunpowder” blend. 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 bold with chilli, so here I suggest chilli flakes instead. It’s an exceptionally great marinade for these paneer and potato skewers.

Spicy Paneer and Potato Skewers with Citrus-Mint Dressing

Prepare six to eight barbecue sticks (if made of wood, soak them in water for 10 minutes first).

Prep a quick 10 minutes
Cook 30 minutes
Serves a couple

14 ounces starchy potatoes, sliced into 4cm chunks
Two hundred twenty-five grams paneer, cubed into two-centimeter cubes
One tsp coriander seeds
½ tsp fennel seeds
One tsp cumin seeds
One tsp black peppercorns
One tsp chilli flakes
One and a half teaspoon flaky sea salt, and additional for garnish
2 cloves of garlic, prepared and minced
Two and a half centimeters piece fresh ginger, prepared and minced
about 3 tablespoons flavorless oil
1 red onion, peeled and cut into eight wedges, then halved crossways

For the dressing
Lime zest and juice, freshly prepared
10g 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. At the same time, put the paneer cubes in a pot of hot water for five minutes, then remove water and dry gently.

Tip the cumin, coriander, and fennel seeds into a grinding bowl or mill, add the peppercorns, chilli flakes and sea salt, then mash or process to a rough rubble.

Transfer to a medium-large bowl with the grated garlic and ginger, add the oil, then gently stir in the cubed paneer, cooked potatoes and red onions to coat. Skewer the components on to barbecue sticks, then move to a sheet pan and reserve for later – optionally, you can at this stage store in the fridge the skewers.

Whisk all the dressing components in a mixing bowl. Turn on the grill to its maximum heat, then grill the skewers for five to seven minutes on each side, until the paneer is crispy and the potatoes are getting slightly burnt. (This may take a little more or less time depending on the fierceness of your grill, so keep an eye on them, especially when cooking the first side.)

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