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It's squash season and most anticipated time of the year, not least for all the spiced dishes and other hearty meals of fall. This Rajasthani sautéed dish is one I cook often, and the combination of fresh ginger, chilli and jaggery gives it a lovely flavor harmony. The biryani, meanwhile, is packed with aromatic spices, basmati and clarified butter, which give so much more taste to the strata of grains and vegetables.

Mushroom and Squash Biryani

A celebration of curry dishes begins around October 6, so how perfect to mark the occasion than with a rich, comforting, all-in-one-pot biryani? For convenience, prepare the vegetable curry component ahead of time and assemble all components on the occasion you want to serve.

Prep 20 min
Cooking 2 hr
Yields 4

For the squash and mushroom gravy
4 tbsp ghee, or butter
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 dried bay leaves
4 cloves
450g white onions, peeled and thinly sliced
3 green bird's eye chillies, slit open lengthways
5cm piece fresh ginger, julienned
2 tbsp tomato puree
¼ tsp mild chilli powder, or kashmiri chilli powder
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp coriander powder
1 heaped tbsp greek yoghurt
300g butternut squash flesh, cubed
300g button mushrooms, cleaned and halved
400ml vegetable stock, or water
Salt, to taste
2 tbsp chopped coriander, to garnish

Rice preparation
200g basmati rice
2 bay leaves
4 green cardamom pods
A pinch of salt

Biryani assembly
2 tbsp melted ghee
1 pinch saffron threads, soaked in 3 tbsp warm water
1¼cm piece fresh ginger, julienned
3 tbsp finely chopped fresh mint leaves
1 tsp ground cardamom powder
1 tsp garam masala
Raita and salad, as accompaniments

First make the curry base. Heat the ghee in a sizable, thick-bottomed pot on a moderate flame, incorporate the cumin, bay leaves and clove spices, and fry for a few seconds. Stir in the onion slices and sauté, frequently turning, for about half an hour, until softened. When the onions start to brown, transfer half of them to a separate dish and set aside (for later use during the assembly).

Introduce the green chillies and ginger to the onions in pan, fry for a minute, then mix in the tomato puree, chilli powder, turmeric and coriander, and sauté for a short while. Reduce to a low heat, stir in the yogurt and cook for a couple of minutes.

Mix in the pumpkin pieces and mushrooms, toss to cover in the spice mixture, then cook for several minutes. Add the stock or water, and add salt to taste. Heat until boiling, then turn down the heat, place lid and simmer for 18-20 minutes, mixing midway to ensure no sticking to the bottom of the pot. Sprinkle with coriander, then remove from the heat.

Preheat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Wash the basmati, then place it in a pot with a quart of water and the bay, cardamom pods and salt. Bring to a boil, simmer for 10-12 minutes, until three-quarters cooked, then drain.

For assembling the biryani, put a tablespoon of warmed ghee in a casserole pot for which you have a tight-fitting lid. Ladle in one portion the spiced vegetables, then layer with half the cooked grains. Add a portion the saffron water, ginger strips, mint, ground cardamom and spice blend, then add the reserved fried onions. Top with the rest of curry mixture, then arrange the leftover rice. Finish with the remaining ghee, saffron water, ginger, mint, ground cardamom and spice mix.

Cover with baking paper, cover with the lid, then bake on the middle shelf of the oven for about fifteen minutes, so all the flavours soak into the rice. Take out of the oven, leave to rest, still covered, for 10 minutes, then remove the cover and present with raita and salad.

Rajasthani Achari Kaddu (Squash with Pickling Spices Sauté)

The Hindi term "achari" refers to flavouring a dish using pickling spices, and the mix contains mustard seeds, fennel, fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, hing and kalonji, but they're not used only in preserved foods. This mixture also appears in all manner of spiced dishes and sautéed preparations, like this recipe.

Prep 10 min
Cook 30 min
Serves 4

1 tsp black mustard seeds
½ tsp fenugreek seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
4 tbsp vegetable oil
1 pinch asafoetida
5cm piece fresh ginger, minced
750g squash flesh, or use pumpkin, cubed
1 tsp mild chilli powder
½ tsp ground turmeric
Salt, to taste
1 tbsp jaggery, or substitute with brown sugar
2 tsp dried mango powder

Place the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and fennel in a spice grinder, crush coarsely, then reserve. Put the cooking oil in a large frying pan or Indian wok on a medium heat. Add the crushed spices and the hing, and fry, mixing, for a brief moment. Add the chopped ginger, cook for a short while, then add the squash, chilli and turmeric, and sauté, stirring, for five minutes more.

Add a small amount water to the pan, salt with seasoning to taste and heat until bubbling. Cover, reduce the flame, and leave to cook for about twenty minutes, stirring once halfway. Mix in the palm sugar, crushing some of the pieces a bit, then add the mango powder, stir well and serve warm with chapatis or naan.