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It's pumpkin season and my favourite season, especially for all the curries and other comfort food of autumn. Today's Rajasthani sautéed dish is one I cook often, and the combination of ginger, chilli and palm sugar gives it a wonderful balance of flavour. This layered rice dish, on the other hand, is packed with aromatic spices, long-grain rice and clarified butter, which give enhanced flavour to the layers of rice and produce.

Squash and Mushroom Biryani

National curry week starts on early October, so what better way to celebrate than with a rich, comforting, all-in-one-pot biryani? For convenience, prepare the spiced vegetable mixture component in advance and assemble all components on the day you want to serve.

Prep 20 min
Cook 2 hr
Serves 4

For the vegetable curry base
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

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, to serve

First make the gravy. Heat the clarified butter in a large, 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 sauté, stirring often, for about half an hour, until tender. When the onions start to brown, remove half to a plate and set aside (you'll use them later during the assembly).

Add the green chillies and ginger to the onions in pan, cook for a brief period, then mix in the tomato paste, chili powder, turmeric and coriander powder, and fry for a short while. Reduce to a gentle flame, blend in the yoghurt and simmer for two minutes.

Add the pumpkin pieces and mushroom halves, toss to cover in the spices, then fry for several minutes. Add the stock or water, and add salt to taste. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, place lid and cook gently for 18-20 minutes, mixing midway to ensure no sticking to the base of the pan. Sprinkle with coriander, then take off the heat.

Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Rinse the basmati, then place it in a saucepan with a quart of water and the bay leaves, cardamom and seasoning. Heat to boiling, simmer for around ten minutes, until partially cooked, then drain.

To build the layered dish, place a spoonful of melted ghee in a oven-safe dish for which you have a tight-fitting lid. Spoon one portion the spiced vegetables, then layer with half the rice. Sprinkle half the saffron water, ginger, mint leaves, cardamom powder and garam masala, then add the reserved fried onions. Top with the rest of vegetable curry, then arrange the leftover grains. Top with the rest of clarified butter, saffron water, ginger, mint, cardamom powder and spice mix.

Seal with parchment, place lid securely, then cook on the center rack of the oven for about fifteen minutes, so the aromas soak into the grains. Take out of the oven, leave to rest, keeping covered, for 10 minutes, then lift off the cover and present with raita and fresh salad.

Rajasthani Achari Kaddu (Squash with Spice Blend Sauté)

The Indian word "pickling style" describes seasoning a dish using pickling spices, and the combination contains mustard seeds, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, asafoetida and kalonji, but they're not used only in pickles. The blend also features in various types of spiced dishes and stir-fries, like this recipe.

Preparation 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 substitute with brown sugar
2 tsp dried mango powder

Put the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and fennel in a mortar, crush coarsely, then set aside. Put the oil in a spacious skillet or kadhai on a moderate flame. Introduce the ground spices and the asafoetida, and fry, mixing, for a few seconds. Mix in the ginger, fry for a short while, then stir in the squash, chilli and turmeric, and fry, stirring, for several additional minutes.

Pour 50ml liquid to the pan, salt with salt to taste and heat until bubbling. Place lid, reduce the flame, and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring once halfway. Mix in the palm sugar, crushing some of the pieces a bit, then add the dried mango, mix thoroughly and serve warm with flatbreads or leavened bread.