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This marks pumpkin season and most anticipated time of the year, not least for all the curries and other comfort food of autumn. Today's Northwest Indian sautéed dish is one I cook often, and the blend of ginger, chilli and jaggery lends it a lovely flavor harmony. The biryani, meanwhile, is packed with aromatic spices, long-grain rice and clarified butter, which give so much more taste to the layers of grains and vegetables.

Squash and Mushroom Biryani

National curry week begins around October 6, so what better way to mark the occasion than with a flavorful, comforting, single-pot layered rice dish? For convenience, prepare the spiced vegetable mixture component ahead of time and layer all components on the occasion you plan to eat.

Prep 20 min
Cooking 2 hr
Serves 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, 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, cubed
300g button mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
400ml vegetable stock, or use 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

For the biryani
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

First make the curry base. Melt the ghee in a sizable, thick-bottomed pot on a moderate flame, add the cumin, bay and cloves, and fry for a few seconds. Stir in the onion slices and cook, stirring often, for about half an hour, until softened. Once onions begin caramelizing, transfer half of them to a separate dish and set aside (you'll use them later during the layering).

Add the green chillies and ginger to the onions in pan, cook for a brief period, then mix in the tomato puree, chilli powder, turmeric powder and coriander, and sauté for a short while. Turn down to a low heat, blend in the yoghurt and cook for a couple of minutes.

Mix in the pumpkin pieces and mushroom halves, toss to cover in the spices, then cook for several minutes. Add the stock or water, and add salt to taste. Bring to a boil, then lower the temperature, cover and cook gently for about twenty minutes, stirring once halfway to ensure nothing's stuck to the base of the pot. Sprinkle with coriander, then take off the stove.

Preheat the oven to moderately hot temperature. Wash the basmati, then place it in a pot with a quart of water and the bay, cardamom and salt. Heat to boiling, cook for around ten minutes, until partially cooked, then strain.

To build the biryani, put a tablespoon of warmed ghee in a casserole pot for which you have a secure cover. Spoon one portion the spiced vegetables, then top that with some the cooked grains. Sprinkle half the saffron water, ginger strips, mint, cardamom powder and garam masala, then top with the caramelized onions. Layer with the remaining curry mixture, then arrange the remaining grains. Finish with the rest of ghee, saffron liquid, ginger, mint, ground cardamom and spice mix.

Seal with baking paper, place lid securely, then bake on the middle shelf of the oven for about fifteen minutes, so all the flavours infuse the grains. Take out of the heat, leave to rest, still covered, for 10 minutes, then remove the lid and serve with yogurt sauce and salad.

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

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

Prep 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 pumpkin, cubed
1 tsp mild chilli powder
½ tsp ground turmeric
Salt, as needed
1 tbsp jaggery, or dark brown sugar
2 tsp dried mango powder

Place the mustard seeds, fenugreek and fennel seeds in a mortar, roughly grind, then reserve. Heat the cooking oil in a spacious skillet or Indian wok on a medium heat. Introduce the ground spices and the asafoetida, and fry, mixing, for a few seconds. Add the chopped ginger, fry for a minute, then stir in the squash, chili powder and turmeric, and fry, tossing, for several additional minutes.

Add 50ml water to the pot, salt with seasoning to taste and heat until bubbling. Cover, reduce the heat, and leave to cook for 20 minutes, stirring once halfway. Add the jaggery, breaking up chunks a bit, then incorporate the mango powder, stir well and present hot with flatbreads or naan.