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

One found with joy that the south Indian blend podi – a rubble of searingly hot, roughly ground spices, which you combine with a little oil and use as a dip for dosa or idli – is also known as “gunpowder” spice mix. 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 adventurous with chilli, so here I suggest red pepper flakes instead. It’s an remarkably tasty marinade for these paneer and potato skewers.

Spicy Paneer and Potato Skewers with Lime-Mint Dressing

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

Prep 10 minutes
Cook 30 minutes
Serves a couple

Four hundred grams waxy potatoes, cut into 4cm chunks
225g paneer, cut into two-centimeter cubes
One tsp coriander seeds
½ tsp fennel seeds
One tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp black peppercorns
One tsp chilli flakes
One and a half tsp flaky sea salt, with more for serving
2 garlic pieces, skinned and shredded
2½cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
40ml neutral oil
1 red onion, peeled and cut into eight wedges, then sliced across

For the dressing
Zest and juice from one lime, finely grated
0.35 ounces fresh mint leaves, minced
½ tsp flaky sea salt
3.5 ounces natural yoghurt

Cook the potatoes for about 10 minutes, then remove the water and leave to steam dry for a minute. Meanwhile, put the paneer cubes in a pot of hot water for five minutes, then drain and pat dry.

Tip the coriander, fennel and cumin seeds into a mortar or spice grinder, add the peppercorns, chilli flakes and sea salt, then pound or blitz to a coarse mixture.

Tip into 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 barbecue sticks, then transfer to a baking sheet and set aside until needed – if you like, you can at this stage wrap and chill the skewers.

Stir all the sauce elements in a medium bowl. Preheat the broiler to its maximum heat, then cook the skewers for a short time 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 intensity of your oven, so monitor closely, especially when cooking the first side.)

Serve the skewers hot, topped with a little more salt and the dressing alongside for dipping.