Rukmini Iyer's Quick and Simple Spicy Paneer and Potato Skewers with Mint-Lime Dressing – Recipe
One learned that the South Indian seasoning podi – a rubble of fiery, roughly ground spices, which you stir into a little oil and use as a sauce for dosa or idli – is also known as “gunpowder” blend. 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 bold with chilli, so here I suggest chilli flakes instead. It’s an remarkably tasty marinade for these paneer and potato skewers.
Gunpowder Paneer and Potato Skewers with Mint-Lime 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 two people
Four hundred grams waxy potatoes, cut into four-centimeter chunks
8 ounces paneer, diced into two-centimeter cubes
One tsp coriander seeds
Half a tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp chilli flakes
1½ tsp flaky sea salt, and additional for garnish
2 garlic pieces, skinned and shredded
Two and a half centimeters piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
Forty milliliters flavorless oil
One red onion, peeled and cut into eight wedges, then sliced across
For the dressing
Zest and juice from one lime, finely grated
Ten grams fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
Half a teaspoon flaky sea salt
One hundred grams natural yoghurt
Cook the potatoes for 9 minutes, then drain them and leave to steam dry for a minute. In the interim, put the paneer cubes in a pot of hot 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 rough rubble.
Tip into a sizable container with the minced ginger and garlic, add the oil, then carefully mix in the paneer cubes, boiled potatoes, and onion wedges to coat. Arrange the vegetables and cheese on to barbecue sticks, then transfer to a baking sheet and set aside until needed – optionally, you can at this stage store in the fridge the skewers.
Whisk all the ingredients for the dressing in a medium bowl. Turn on the grill to its highest setting, then bake the sticks for 5–7 minutes on each side, until the paneer is browned and the potatoes are getting slightly burnt. (This may take a different amount of time depending on the heat of your broiler, so keep an eye on them, especially when cooking the first side.)
Serve the skewers hot, topped with a little more sea salt and the sauce on the side for serving.
