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It's pumpkin season and most anticipated time of the year, not least for all the curries and other hearty meals of autumn. This Northwest Indian sautéed dish is a regular in my kitchen, and the blend of fresh ginger, chili and jaggery lends it a lovely flavor harmony. The biryani, on the other hand, is loaded with aromatic spices, basmati and ghee, which give so much more flavour to the layers of rice and vegetables.

Squash and Mushroom Biryani

National curry week begins around early October, so what better way to celebrate than with a flavorful, comforting, all-in-one-pot biryani? For convenience, prepare the spiced vegetable mixture component in advance and layer everything on the day you want to serve.

Preparation 20 min
Cook 2 hr
Yields 4

For the vegetable curry base
4 tbsp ghee, or use 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, peeled and cut into matchsticks
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, trimmed and sliced
400ml vegetable stock, or use water
Salt, as needed
2 tbsp chopped coriander, for serving

For the rice
200g basmati rice
2 bay leaves
4 green cardamom pods
A pinch of salt

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

Begin by preparing the curry base. Melt the clarified butter in a sizable, thick-bottomed pot on a medium heat, incorporate the cumin, bay leaves and cloves, and sauté for a few seconds. Stir in the sliced onion and sauté, frequently turning, for 30-35 minutes, until softened. When the onions start to brown, transfer half of them to a separate dish and reserve (for later use during the assembly).

Add the fresh chilies and ginger strips to the onions in pan, cook for a brief period, then stir in the tomato puree, chilli powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder, and sauté for a short while. Reduce to a gentle flame, blend in the yogurt and simmer for a couple of minutes.

Add the pumpkin pieces and mushroom halves, toss to cover in the spice mixture, then fry for three minutes. Pour in the liquid, and add salt to taste. Heat until boiling, then turn down the temperature, cover and simmer for about twenty minutes, stirring once halfway to ensure no sticking to the base of the pot. Garnish with coriander, then take off the stove.

Heat the oven to moderately hot temperature. Wash the rice, then put it in a saucepan with a quart of water and the bay, cardamom pods and seasoning. Heat to boiling, simmer for 10-12 minutes, until partially cooked, then strain.

For assembling the layered dish, put a tablespoon of warmed ghee in a casserole pot for which you have a tight-fitting lid. Ladle in one portion the vegetable curry, then layer with half the cooked grains. Add a portion the saffron infusion, ginger strips, mint leaves, ground cardamom and garam masala, then add the reserved fried onions. Layer with the remaining vegetable curry, then spoon on the leftover grains. Finish with the rest of clarified butter, saffron water, ginger, mint, cardamom powder and garam masala.

Cover with baking paper, cover with the lid, then cook on the middle shelf of the oven for about fifteen minutes, so all the flavours soak into the grains. Take out of the oven, leave to rest, keeping covered, for 10 minutes, then lift off the cover and serve with yogurt sauce and fresh salad.

Rajasthani Achari Kaddu (Pumpkin with Pickling Spices Stir-Fry)

The Indian word "achari" describes flavouring a preparation using preserving spices, and the mix includes mustard seeds, fennel, fenugreek, cumin seeds, hing and kalonji, but their use extends beyond in preserved foods. This mixture also appears in various types of spiced dishes and stir-fries, like this recipe.

Preparation 10 min
Cooking 30 min
Yields 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, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 tsp mild chilli powder
½ tsp ground turmeric
Salt, to taste
1 tbsp jaggery, or dark brown sugar
2 tsp dried mango powder

Put the mustard, fenugreek seeds and fennel in a spice grinder, crush coarsely, then set aside. Heat the cooking oil in a large frying pan or Indian wok on a medium heat. Add the crushed spices and the asafoetida, and sauté, mixing, for a few seconds. Add the chopped ginger, cook for a minute, then stir in the pumpkin pieces, chilli and turmeric, and sauté, stirring, for five minutes more.

Add a small amount liquid to the pot, season with seasoning to taste and bring to a boil. Place lid, turn down the heat, and leave to cook for about twenty minutes, stirring once halfway. Add the jaggery, breaking up chunks a little, then add the dried mango, stir well and serve warm with flatbreads or leavened bread.