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It's pumpkin season and most anticipated season, especially for all the curries and other hearty meals of fall. Today's Northwest Indian sautéed dish is a regular in my kitchen, and the blend of fresh ginger, chilli and jaggery gives it a lovely balance of flavour. The biryani, meanwhile, is packed with aromatic spices, long-grain rice and ghee, which give so much more taste to the layers of rice and vegetables.

Squash and Mushroom Biryani

A celebration of curry dishes starts on October 6, so what better way to mark the occasion than with a flavorful, comforting, all-in-one-pot layered rice dish? If you like, prepare the vegetable curry element ahead of time and layer everything on the occasion you plan to eat.

Preparation 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, lengthwise slit
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, cut into bite-sized pieces
300g button mushrooms, cleaned and halved
400ml vegetable stock, or water
Salt, to taste
2 tbsp chopped coriander, for serving

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

For the biryani
2 tbsp melted ghee
1 pinch saffron threads, steeped in 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

Begin by preparing the gravy. Heat the clarified butter in a large, thick-bottomed pot on a moderate flame, add the cumin, bay leaves and cloves, and fry for a brief moment. Stir in the onion slices and cook, frequently turning, for 30-35 minutes, until softened. Once onions begin caramelizing, remove half to a separate dish and set aside (for later use during the assembly).

Add the fresh chilies and ginger to the remaining onions, cook for a brief period, then stir in the tomato paste, chilli powder, turmeric and coriander powder, and sauté for a minute. Reduce to a low heat, blend in the yoghurt and simmer for a couple of minutes.

Mix in the squash and mushrooms, toss to cover in the spices, then fry for three minutes. Add the liquid, and season to taste. Heat until boiling, then lower the temperature, cover and simmer for about twenty minutes, stirring once halfway to ensure no sticking to the base of the pan. Sprinkle with coriander, then take off the heat.

Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Wash the rice, then place it in a saucepan with a quart of water and the bay leaves, cardamom and seasoning. Bring to a boil, simmer for 10-12 minutes, until partially cooked, then drain.

For assembling the biryani, place a spoonful of warmed ghee in a oven-safe dish for which you have a secure cover. Spoon one portion the spiced vegetables, then top that with half the rice. Add a portion the saffron infusion, ginger, mint leaves, ground cardamom and spice blend, then top with the reserved fried onions. Top with the remaining vegetable curry, then spoon on the leftover rice. Finish with the remaining ghee, saffron water, ginger, mint, cardamom powder and spice mix.

Cover with baking paper, place lid securely, then bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 15-17 minutes, so all the flavours soak into the grains. Take out of the oven, allow to stand, keeping covered, for 10 minutes, then remove the cover and serve with raita and fresh salad.

Traditional Indian Achari Kaddu (Squash with Spice Blend Sauté)

The Indian word "achari" describes flavouring a preparation using preserving spices, and the mix contains mustard, fennel, fenugreek seeds, cumin, hing and nigella, but they're not used only in pickles. This mixture also features in all manner of spiced dishes and sautéed preparations, such as this one.

Preparation 10 min
Cooking 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

Put the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and fennel in a mortar, crush coarsely, then set aside. Heat the oil in a spacious skillet or Indian wok on a medium heat. Introduce the crushed spices and the hing, and fry, stirring, for a brief moment. Add the ginger, fry for a minute, then stir in the pumpkin pieces, chili powder and turmeric, and fry, stirring, for several additional minutes.

Add 50ml liquid to the pan, season with salt to taste and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the flame, and simmer for about twenty minutes, mixing midway through. Add the jaggery, crushing some of the pieces a little, then incorporate the mango powder, mix thoroughly and present hot with flatbreads or naan.