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This marks squash season and my favourite season, not least for all the curries and other hearty meals of fall. Today's Northwest Indian stir-fry is a regular in my kitchen, and the combination of ginger, chilli and palm sugar gives it a lovely flavor harmony. This layered rice dish, meanwhile, is packed with whole spices, long-grain rice and ghee, which give enhanced flavour to the strata of grains and vegetables.

Mushroom and Squash Biryani

National curry week starts on October 6, so what better way to mark the occasion than with a rich, comforting, all-in-one-pot layered rice dish? For convenience, make the vegetable curry element ahead of time and assemble all components on the occasion you want to serve.

Prep 20 min
Cooking 2 hr
Yields 4

For the vegetable curry base
4 tbsp ghee, or use 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, cleaned and halved
400ml vegetable stock, or 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, 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 ghee in a large, thick-bottomed pot on a medium heat, add the cumin seeds, bay leaves and clove spices, and fry for a few seconds. Stir in the onion slices and sauté, frequently turning, for about half an hour, until tender. When the onions start to brown, transfer half of them to a separate dish and set aside (you'll use them later during the assembly).

Introduce the fresh chilies and ginger to the onions in pan, cook for a minute, then mix in the tomato paste, chilli powder, turmeric and coriander powder, and sauté for a short while. Turn down to a low heat, stir in the yogurt and cook for two minutes.

Add the squash and mushroom halves, stir to coat in the spice mixture, then fry for three minutes. Add the liquid, and season to taste. Bring to a boil, then turn down the temperature, cover and simmer for about twenty minutes, stirring once halfway to ensure nothing's stuck to the base of the pan. Garnish with fresh cilantro, then take off the heat.

Preheat the oven to moderately hot temperature. Wash the rice, then put it in a pot with a litre of water and the bay leaves, cardamom pods and seasoning. Bring to a boil, simmer for around ten minutes, until partially cooked, then strain.

For assembling the biryani, put a tablespoon of warmed ghee in a oven-safe dish for which you have a tight-fitting lid. Ladle in one portion the vegetable curry, then layer with half the cooked grains. Sprinkle half the saffron water, ginger, mint leaves, cardamom powder and spice blend, then add the caramelized onions. Layer with the rest of vegetable curry, then spoon on the leftover grains. Finish with the rest of clarified butter, saffron liquid, ginger, mint, ground cardamom and spice mix.

Cover with baking paper, place lid securely, then bake on the center rack of the oven for about fifteen minutes, so the aromas infuse the grains. Take out of the heat, allow to stand, still covered, for 10 minutes, then remove the cover and serve with yogurt sauce and salad.

Traditional Indian Achari Kaddu (Pumpkin with Spice Blend Sauté)

The Hindi term "pickling style" refers to seasoning a dish using pickling spices, and the combination contains mustard seeds, fennel, fenugreek, cumin, asafoetida and nigella, but their use extends beyond in preserved foods. The blend also appears in various types of curries and stir-fries, such as this one.

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, minced
750g squash flesh, or pumpkin, cubed
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 seeds in a spice grinder, roughly grind, 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, mixing, for a few seconds. Mix in the chopped ginger, fry for a short while, then add the pumpkin pieces, chilli and turmeric, and fry, tossing, for several additional minutes.

Pour 50ml liquid to the pot, salt with seasoning to taste and bring to a boil. Cover, turn down the flame, and leave to cook for about twenty minutes, mixing midway through. Mix in the jaggery, crushing some of the pieces a little, then incorporate the dried mango, stir well and serve warm with chapatis or naan.