🔗 Share this article Rukmini Iyer's Quick and Easy Gunpowder Paneer and Potato Skewers with Citrus-Mint Dressing – Recipe I was delighted to discover that the traditional Indian blend podi – a rubble of fiery, coarsely crushed spices, which you stir into a little oil and use as a dip for dosa or idli – is also known as “gunpowder” seasoning. This is accurate if you were using my grandmother’s home-dried chillies, but it would be generous to say that I’m far less daring with chilli, so here I suggest chilli flakes instead. It’s an exceptionally great marinade for these paneer and potato skewers. Gunpowder Paneer and Potato Skewers with Lime-Mint Dressing Prepare six to eight skewers made of metal or wood (if wooden, let them sit in water for 10 minutes first). Prep 10 min Cook 30 minutes Serves 2 14 ounces waxy potatoes, cut into 1.5-inch chunks Two hundred twenty-five grams paneer, diced into 2cm cubes 1 tsp coriander seeds Half a tsp fennel seeds 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1 tsp black peppercorns One teaspoon chilli flakes 1½ tsp flaky sea salt, plus extra to serve 2 cloves of garlic, prepared and minced 2½cm piece fresh ginger, skinned and shredded Forty milliliters mild oil 1 red onion, prepared and divided into eight wedges, then halved crossways For the dressing Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime 10g fresh mint leaves, finely chopped Half a teaspoon flaky sea salt 3.5 ounces natural yoghurt Boil the potatoes for 9 minutes, then drain them and allow to air dry for a minute. In the interim, put the paneer cubes in a container with heated water for five minutes, then strain and blot dry. Add the cumin, coriander, and fennel seeds into a grinding bowl or mill, add the peppercorns, chilli flakes and sea salt, then crush or grind to a rough rubble. Place in a large mixing bowl with the grated garlic and ginger, add the oil, then lightly combine with the cubed paneer, cooked potatoes and red onions to coat. Arrange the components on to barbecue sticks, then transfer to a baking sheet and keep ready – 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 top temperature, then grill 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 little more or less time depending on the intensity of your oven, so keep an eye on them, especially when cooking the first side.) Offer the grilled sticks immediately, scattered with a little more salt and the accompaniment for drizzling.