Beef Cubes with a Tamarind-Mint Sauce from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

• ½ cup plain yogurt
• 6 to 8 green Thai, cayenne, or serrano chiles, to taste, stems removed
• 6 medium-size cloves garlic
• ½ teaspoon whole cloves, ground
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• ¼ cup firmly packed fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
• ¼ cup firmly packed fresh mint leaves
• 1 teaspoon white granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon coarse kosher or sea salt
• 1 pound boneless beef (chuck, or “stew meat”), cut into 2-inch cubes
• 2 lengthwise slices fresh ginger (each 2 inches long, 1 inch wide, and ⅛ inch thick)
• 1 teaspoon ground Deggi chiles (see box); or ½ teaspoon cayenne (ground red pepper) mixed with ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon coarse kosher or sea salt
• 1 or 2 fresh green Thai, cayenne, or serrano chiles, to taste, stems removed
• ½ teaspoon tamarind paste or concentrate
• Bamboo or metal skewers
• Vegetable cooking spray