🔗 Share this article Rukmini Iyer's Speedy and Simple Gunpowder Paneer and Potato Skewers with Citrus-Mint Dressing – Cooking Guide One was delighted to discover that the south Indian blend podi – a coarse mix of intensely spicy, coarsely crushed spices, which you stir into a little oil and use as a dip for dosa or idli – is also known as “gunpowder” spice mix. 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 adventurous with chilli, so here I suggest crushed chilies instead. It’s an remarkably tasty marinade for these paneer and potato skewers. Spicy Paneer and Potato Skewers with Lime-Mint Dressing You will need six to eight skewers made of metal or wood (if bamboo, soak them in water for 10 minutes first). Prep 10 minutes Cook 30 min Serves a couple 400g waxy potatoes, sliced into four-centimeter chunks Two hundred twenty-five grams paneer, cubed into 0.8-inch cubes One teaspoon coriander seeds Half a teaspoon fennel seeds One teaspoon cumin seeds One tsp black peppercorns One tsp chilli flakes 1½ tsp flaky sea salt, with more for serving 2 cloves of garlic, prepared and minced 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated about 3 tablespoons flavorless oil 1 red onion, prepared and divided into eight wedges, then sliced across For the dressing Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime Ten grams fresh mint leaves, finely chopped Half a tsp flaky sea salt 100g natural yoghurt Cook the potatoes for nine minutes, then remove the water and allow to air dry for a minute. At the same time, put the paneer cubes in a pot of hot water for a short while, then drain and pat dry. Add the spice seeds into a grinding bowl or mill, add the peppercorns, chilli flakes and sea salt, then pound or blitz to a rough rubble. Tip into a medium-large bowl with the minced ginger and garlic, add the oil, then carefully mix in the ingredients to coat. Thread the vegetables and cheese on to the prepared skewers, then transfer to a baking sheet and set aside until needed – if desired, you can at this stage cover and refrigerate the skewers. Beat all the sauce elements in a container. Preheat the broiler to its maximum heat, then cook the skewers for five to seven minutes on each side, until the paneer is golden brown and the potatoes are beginning to blacken. (This may take a different amount of time depending on the fierceness of your grill, so watch carefully, especially when cooking the first side.) Serve the skewers hot, topped with a little more sea salt and the accompaniment for drizzling.