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It's pumpkin season and my favourite season, not least for all the curries and other comfort food of fall. This Rajasthani stir-fry is one I cook often, and the blend of fresh ginger, chili and palm sugar lends it a wonderful balance of flavour. This layered rice dish, meanwhile, is packed with whole spices, basmati and clarified butter, which give enhanced taste to the strata of grains and produce.

Mushroom and Squash Biryani

A celebration of curry dishes begins around early October, 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 everything 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, julienned
2 tbsp tomato puree
¼ tsp mild chilli powder, or substitute with mild paprika
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, 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, 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, to serve

Begin by preparing the curry base. Melt the ghee in a sizable, heavy-based saucepan on a moderate flame, add the cumin, bay and clove spices, and fry for a few seconds. Add the onion slices and sauté, frequently turning, for about half an hour, until tender. Once onions begin caramelizing, transfer half of them to a separate dish and reserve (for later use during the layering).

Add the green chillies and ginger to the onions in pan, cook for a minute, then stir in the tomato paste, chilli powder, turmeric powder and coriander, and fry for a short while. Turn down to a gentle flame, blend in the yoghurt and simmer for a couple of minutes.

Mix in the pumpkin pieces and mushrooms, toss to cover in the spice mixture, then fry for three minutes. Add the liquid, and add salt to taste. Heat until boiling, then lower the temperature, cover and simmer for 18-20 minutes, stirring once halfway to make sure nothing's stuck to the bottom of the pan. Garnish with coriander, then remove from the stove.

Heat the oven to moderately hot temperature. Rinse the basmati, then put it in a saucepan with a quart of water and the bay leaves, cardamom and salt. Heat to boiling, simmer for around ten 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. Spoon one portion the vegetable curry, then top that with half the cooked grains. Sprinkle half the saffron water, ginger, mint leaves, ground cardamom and spice blend, then top with the caramelized onions. Top with the remaining curry mixture, then arrange the remaining rice. Finish with the remaining clarified butter, saffron water, ginger, mint, ground cardamom and spice mix.

Cover with parchment, cover with the lid, then cook on the center rack of the oven for 15-17 minutes, so the aromas infuse the grains. Remove of the heat, leave to rest, keeping covered, for 10 minutes, then lift off the lid and serve with raita and salad.

Rajasthani Achari Kaddu (Pumpkin with Spice Blend Stir-Fry)

The Hindi term "pickling style" refers to seasoning a dish using pickling spices, and the mix contains mustard, fennel, fenugreek, cumin, asafoetida and kalonji, but they're not used only in pickles. The blend also appears in all manner of curries 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, 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 seeds in a spice grinder, roughly grind, then reserve. Heat the cooking oil in a large frying pan or Indian wok on a moderate flame. Introduce the ground spices and the hing, and fry, mixing, for a few seconds. Add the chopped ginger, fry for a short while, then stir in the pumpkin pieces, chili powder and turmeric, and sauté, tossing, for several additional minutes.

Pour 50ml liquid to the pot, season with salt to taste and bring to a boil. Place lid, turn down the heat, and simmer for about twenty minutes, mixing midway through. Add the palm sugar, crushing some of the pieces a bit, then incorporate the dried mango, mix thoroughly and present hot with chapatis or leavened bread.