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It's squash season and most anticipated season, especially for all the curries and other hearty meals of autumn. Today's Northwest Indian stir-fry is one I cook often, and the blend of ginger, chili and palm sugar lends it a wonderful balance of flavour. This layered rice dish, meanwhile, is loaded with whole spices, long-grain rice and ghee, which provide so much more taste to the layers of grains and produce.

Mushroom and Squash Biryani

A celebration of curry dishes starts on early October, so how perfect to mark the occasion than with a flavorful, warming, all-in-one-pot biryani? For convenience, prepare the vegetable curry component in advance and assemble all components on the day you want to serve.

Prep 20 min
Cook 2 hr
Serves 4

For the squash and mushroom gravy
4 tbsp ghee, or use butter
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 dried bay leaves
4 cloves
450g white onions, 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 water
Salt, as needed
2 tbsp chopped coriander, to garnish

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, heavy-based saucepan on a moderate flame, add the cumin, bay leaves and clove spices, and fry for a few seconds. Add the onion slices and cook, frequently turning, for 30-35 minutes, until tender. Once onions begin caramelizing, remove half to a separate dish and reserve (for later use during the layering).

Introduce the green chillies and ginger to the remaining onions, cook for a minute, then mix in the tomato paste, chili powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder, and sauté for a short while. Reduce to a low heat, stir in the yoghurt and cook for a couple of minutes.

Mix in the squash and mushrooms, toss to cover in the spice mixture, then fry for several minutes. Pour in the stock or water, and season to taste. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat, place lid and simmer for 18-20 minutes, stirring once halfway to ensure no sticking to the base of the pot. Garnish with coriander, then remove from the heat.

Preheat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Rinse the rice, then place it in a pot with a litre of water and the bay leaves, cardamom pods and seasoning. Bring to a boil, simmer for 10-12 minutes, until three-quarters cooked, then strain.

For assembling the layered dish, place a spoonful of warmed ghee in a casserole pot for which you have a secure cover. Ladle in one portion the vegetable curry, then layer with some the cooked grains. Add a portion the saffron infusion, ginger strips, mint, cardamom powder and garam masala, then add the caramelized onions. Top with the remaining vegetable curry, then arrange the remaining rice. Finish with the rest of clarified butter, saffron water, ginger, mint, ground cardamom and garam masala.

Cover with parchment, place lid securely, then cook on the middle shelf of the oven for 15-17 minutes, so the aromas infuse the rice. Take out of the oven, allow to stand, keeping covered, for 10 minutes, then remove the lid and serve with yogurt sauce and salad.

Rajasthani Achari Kaddu (Squash with Pickling Spices Sauté)

The Hindi term "pickling style" refers to seasoning a preparation using preserving spices, and the combination contains mustard, fennel, fenugreek, cumin, asafoetida and kalonji, but they're not used only in preserved foods. The blend also features in various types of spiced dishes and sautéed preparations, like this recipe.

Preparation 10 min
Cook 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, 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

Put the mustard seeds, fenugreek and fennel in a mortar, crush coarsely, then reserve. Heat the oil in a spacious skillet or kadhai on a moderate flame. Add the ground spices and the asafoetida, and fry, stirring, for a few seconds. Add the ginger, fry for a short while, then stir in the squash, chilli and turmeric, and fry, tossing, for several additional minutes.

Add 50ml liquid to the pan, season with salt to taste and bring to a boil. Place lid, reduce the heat, and leave to cook for about twenty minutes, mixing midway through. Mix in the palm sugar, breaking up chunks a little, then add the mango powder, mix thoroughly and serve warm with flatbreads or leavened bread.