This Quick and Effortless Spicy Paneer and Potato Skewers with Mint-Lime Dressing – Recipe

One found with joy that the south Indian spice mix podi – a coarse mix of searingly hot, roughly ground spices, which you stir into a little oil and use as a dip for dosa or idli – is also known as “gunpowder” blend. This is accurate if you were using my grandmother’s homemade dried chilies, but it would be generous to say that I’m far less daring with chilli, so here I suggest red pepper flakes instead. It’s an remarkably tasty 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 wooden, let them sit in water for 10 minutes first).

Prep 10 min
Cook half an hour
Serves 2

14 ounces waxy potatoes, chopped into 1.5-inch chunks
Two hundred twenty-five grams paneer, diced into two-centimeter cubes
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
One tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp chilli flakes
One and a half tsp flaky sea salt, and additional for garnish
Two garlic cloves, skinned and shredded
2½cm piece fresh ginger, prepared and minced
40ml flavorless oil
One red onion, peeled and cut into eight wedges, then cut in half horizontally

For the dressing
Zest and juice from one lime, finely grated
Ten grams fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
½ tsp flaky sea salt
One hundred grams natural yoghurt

Simmer the potatoes for nine minutes, then drain them and allow to air dry for a minute. In the interim, put the paneer cubes in a pot of hot water for five minutes, then strain and blot dry.

Pour the coriander, fennel and cumin seeds into a grinding bowl or mill, add the salt, chili flakes, and peppercorns, then crush or grind to a chunky blend.

Tip into a sizable container with the shredded aromatics, add the oil, then carefully mix in the ingredients to coat. Arrange the vegetables and cheese on to six to eight metal or soaked wooden skewers, then place on a tray and reserve for later – optionally, you can at this stage cover and refrigerate the skewers.

Stir all the sauce elements in a mixing bowl. 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 beginning to blacken. (This may take a variable duration 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 accompaniment for drizzling.