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This marks squash season and most anticipated time of the year, not least for all the spiced dishes and other hearty meals of fall. This Rajasthani stir-fry is one I cook often, and the blend of ginger, chilli and palm sugar lends it a lovely balance of flavour. This layered rice dish, meanwhile, is loaded with aromatic spices, basmati and ghee, which provide enhanced flavour to the layers of grains and vegetables.

Squash and Mushroom Biryani

National curry week starts on October 6, so how perfect to mark the occasion than with a flavorful, warming, single-pot biryani? For convenience, make the spiced vegetable mixture element ahead of time and assemble everything on the day you want to serve.

Preparation 20 min
Cooking 2 hr
Yields 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, peeled and cut into matchsticks
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 use water
Salt, as needed
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, 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, to serve

Begin by preparing the gravy. Heat the ghee in a sizable, heavy-based saucepan on a moderate flame, add the cumin, bay leaves and clove spices, and fry for a brief moment. Add the sliced onion and cook, stirring often, for 30-35 minutes, until tender. Once onions begin caramelizing, 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 remaining onions, cook for a minute, then stir in the tomato paste, chili powder, turmeric and coriander powder, and sauté for a short while. Turn down to a gentle flame, blend in the yoghurt and simmer for a couple of minutes.

Add the squash and mushrooms, toss to cover in the spices, then fry for several minutes. Add the liquid, and season to taste. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat, cover and cook gently for 18-20 minutes, mixing midway to ensure nothing's stuck to the base of the pot. Sprinkle with coriander, then remove from the heat.

Heat the oven to moderately hot temperature. Rinse the rice, then put it in a pot with a litre of water and the bay, cardamom and salt. Heat to boiling, cook for 10-12 minutes, until three-quarters cooked, then strain.

For assembling the biryani, put a spoonful of melted ghee in a casserole pot for which you have a tight-fitting lid. Ladle in one portion the vegetable curry, then top that with half the cooked grains. Add a portion the saffron infusion, ginger, mint, cardamom powder and spice blend, then add the caramelized onions. Layer with the rest of curry mixture, then spoon on the remaining grains. Finish with the remaining ghee, saffron liquid, ginger, mint, ground cardamom and garam masala.

Cover with parchment, cover with the lid, then bake on the middle shelf of the oven for about fifteen minutes, so all the flavours soak into the rice. Take out of the oven, allow to stand, keeping covered, for 10 minutes, then remove the lid and serve with yogurt sauce and salad.

Rajasthani Achari Kaddu (Squash with Pickling Spices Sauté)

The Indian word "achari" refers to flavouring a preparation using preserving spices, and the combination includes mustard seeds, fennel, fenugreek, cumin, hing and nigella, but they're not used only in pickles. The blend also appears in various types of spiced dishes and sautéed preparations, such as this one.

Preparation 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, peeled and finely chopped
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

Put the mustard, fenugreek seeds and fennel seeds in a mortar, crush coarsely, then set aside. Put the 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 ginger, cook for a minute, then stir in the pumpkin pieces, chili powder and turmeric, and sauté, tossing, for five minutes more.

Pour 50ml water 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, breaking up chunks a bit, then add the dried mango, stir well and present hot with flatbreads or leavened bread.