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This marks pumpkin season and most anticipated season, 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 fresh ginger, chili and palm sugar gives it a wonderful balance of flavour. The biryani, meanwhile, is packed with whole spices, long-grain rice and ghee, which provide enhanced flavour to the strata of grains and vegetables.

Mushroom and Squash Biryani

A celebration of curry dishes starts on October 6, so what better way to celebrate than with a rich, comforting, single-pot layered rice dish? For convenience, make the vegetable curry component in advance and layer everything on the occasion you want to serve.

Prep 20 min
Cooking 2 hr
Yields 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, 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, cut into bite-sized pieces
300g button mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
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, soaked in 3 tbsp 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, to serve

First make the curry base. Melt the clarified butter in a sizable, heavy-based saucepan on a moderate flame, add the cumin, bay leaves and cloves, and sauté for a brief moment. 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 plate and set aside (for later use during the assembly).

Add the green chillies and ginger to the onions in pan, fry for a minute, then mix in the tomato paste, chili powder, turmeric and coriander powder, and fry for a minute. Reduce to a gentle flame, blend 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. Add the stock or water, and add salt to taste. Heat until boiling, then turn down the temperature, place lid and simmer for 18-20 minutes, mixing midway to ensure nothing's stuck to the bottom of the pan. Garnish with fresh cilantro, then take off the stove.

Preheat the oven to moderately hot temperature. Rinse the basmati, then put it in a pot with a litre of water and the bay, cardamom pods and seasoning. Bring to a boil, simmer for 10-12 minutes, until three-quarters cooked, then strain.

For assembling the biryani, place a spoonful of melted ghee in a oven-safe dish for which you have a tight-fitting lid. Spoon half the vegetable curry, then layer with half the cooked grains. Sprinkle half the saffron water, ginger strips, mint, cardamom powder and spice blend, then top with the reserved fried onions. Top with the rest of curry mixture, then spoon on the leftover rice. Finish with the rest of ghee, saffron liquid, ginger, mint, ground cardamom and spice mix.

Seal with parchment, cover with the lid, then bake on the center rack of the oven for about fifteen minutes, so the aromas infuse the rice. Take out of the oven, leave to rest, still covered, for 10 minutes, then remove the lid and present with raita and salad.

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

The Hindi term "pickling style" refers to flavouring a dish using pickling spices, and the combination includes mustard, fennel, fenugreek, cumin, asafoetida and nigella, but they're not used only in preserved foods. The blend also appears in various types of spiced dishes and stir-fries, like this recipe.

Prep 10 min
Cook 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, peeled and finely chopped
750g squash flesh, or 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

Place the mustard, fenugreek and fennel in a mortar, roughly grind, then set aside. Heat the cooking oil in a large frying pan or kadhai on a medium heat. Add the ground spices and the hing, and fry, mixing, for a few seconds. Add the ginger, cook for a short while, then stir in the pumpkin pieces, chilli and turmeric, and sauté, tossing, for five minutes more.

Pour a small amount water to the pot, salt with salt to taste and heat until bubbling. Place lid, turn down the heat, and simmer for about twenty minutes, stirring once halfway. Mix in the jaggery, breaking up chunks a little, then incorporate the dried mango, mix thoroughly and serve warm with chapatis or naan.