🔗 Share this article Rukmini Iyer's Fast and Effortless Gunpowder Paneer and Potato Skewers with Lime-Mint Dressing – Cooking Guide One found with joy that the south Indian blend podi – a rough grind of fiery, coarsely crushed spices, which you combine with 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 home-dried chillies, but it would be charitable to say that I’m far less bold with chilli, so here I suggest crushed chilies instead. It’s an exceptionally great marinade for these paneer and potato skewers. Spicy Paneer and Potato Skewers with Citrus-Mint Dressing Gather six to eight barbecue sticks (if made of wood, soak them in water for 10 minutes first). Prep a quick 10 minutes Cook 30 min Serves two people Four hundred grams firm potatoes, sliced into four-centimeter chunks 8 ounces paneer, cubed into two-centimeter cubes 1 teaspoon coriander seeds Half a teaspoon fennel seeds One tsp cumin seeds 1 teaspoon black peppercorns One teaspoon chilli flakes 1½ teaspoon flaky sea salt, with more for serving 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and grated 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated about 3 tablespoons mild oil 1 red onion, skinned and sliced into eight wedges, then cut in half horizontally For the dressing Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime 0.35 ounces fresh mint leaves, minced ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt One hundred grams natural yoghurt Simmer the potatoes for 9 minutes, then remove the water and let them dry from steam for a minute. In the interim, put the paneer cubes in a bowl of boiling water for five minutes, then remove water and dry gently. Add the spice seeds into a grinding bowl or mill, add the peppercorns, chilli flakes and sea salt, then mash or process to a coarse mixture. Transfer to a large mixing bowl with the shredded aromatics, add the oil, then lightly combine with the paneer cubes, boiled potatoes, and onion wedges to coat. Skewer 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 store in the fridge the skewers. Stir all the ingredients for the dressing in a mixing bowl. Turn on the grill to its top temperature, then grill the skewers for a short time on each side, until the paneer is browned and the potatoes are starting to char. (This may take a little more or less time depending on the heat of your broiler, so keep an eye on them, especially when cooking the first side.) Serve the skewers hot, scattered with a little more sea salt and the sauce on the side for serving.