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This marks pumpkin season and my favourite time of the year, not least for all the spiced dishes and other hearty meals of autumn. Today's Rajasthani sautéed dish is one I cook often, and the blend of ginger, chili and jaggery gives it a wonderful balance of flavour. The biryani, meanwhile, is packed with whole spices, basmati and clarified butter, which provide enhanced taste to the strata of grains and vegetables.

Mushroom and Squash Biryani

National curry week begins around early October, so how perfect to mark the occasion than with a rich, warming, all-in-one-pot layered rice dish? For convenience, make the spiced vegetable mixture component ahead of time and assemble all components 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 butter
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 dried bay leaves
4 cloves
450g white onions, peeled and 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, cubed
300g button mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
400ml vegetable stock, or use water
Salt, to taste
2 tbsp chopped coriander, for serving

Rice preparation
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, 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 gravy. Heat the clarified butter in a large, thick-bottomed pot on a medium heat, add the cumin seeds, bay and cloves, and fry for a brief moment. Stir in the sliced onion and cook, frequently turning, for 30-35 minutes, until tender. Once onions begin caramelizing, remove half to a plate and set aside (for later use during the assembly).

Introduce the green chillies and ginger to the remaining onions, fry for a minute, then stir in the tomato paste, chilli powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder, and sauté for a minute. Reduce to a low heat, blend in the yogurt and cook for a couple of minutes.

Add the pumpkin pieces and mushrooms, toss to cover in the spices, then fry for three minutes. Add the liquid, and add salt to taste. Heat until boiling, then turn down the temperature, place lid and simmer for 18-20 minutes, mixing midway to make sure no sticking to the bottom of the pot. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro, then take off the heat.

Preheat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Rinse the rice, then put it in a saucepan with a quart of water and the bay, cardamom and salt. Heat to boiling, simmer for around ten minutes, until partially cooked, then strain.

To build the layered dish, place a tablespoon of melted ghee in a casserole pot for which you have a secure cover. Spoon one portion the vegetable curry, then layer with half the rice. Add half the saffron water, ginger, mint, ground cardamom and garam masala, then add the reserved fried onions. Top with the remaining vegetable curry, then spoon on the remaining rice. Finish with the remaining clarified butter, saffron water, ginger, mint, cardamom powder and garam masala.

Cover with parchment, place lid securely, then cook on the center rack of the oven for about fifteen minutes, so the aromas infuse the rice. Take out of the oven, allow to stand, still covered, for several minutes, then remove the cover and serve with yogurt sauce and salad.

Traditional Indian Achari Kaddu (Pumpkin with Spice Blend Stir-Fry)

The Hindi term "achari" describes flavouring a preparation using preserving spices, and the combination contains mustard seeds, fennel, fenugreek seeds, cumin, asafoetida and nigella, but they're not used only in pickles. This mixture also appears in all manner of spiced dishes and stir-fries, 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, peeled and finely chopped
750g squash flesh, or use pumpkin, cut into bite-sized pieces
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 spice grinder, crush coarsely, then set aside. Put the oil in a large frying pan or kadhai on a moderate flame. Add the crushed spices and the asafoetida, and sauté, stirring, for a brief moment. Add the ginger, cook for a minute, then stir in the squash, chilli and turmeric, and sauté, tossing, for several additional minutes.

Pour 50ml water to the pan, season with seasoning to taste and heat until bubbling. Cover, turn down the flame, and leave to cook for 20 minutes, stirring once halfway. Add the palm sugar, breaking up chunks a little, then incorporate the dried mango, stir well and serve warm with flatbreads or leavened bread.