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It's pumpkin season and my favourite time of the year, especially for all the curries and other hearty meals of autumn. Today's Northwest Indian sautéed dish is a regular in my kitchen, and the combination of fresh ginger, chilli and palm sugar gives it a lovely flavor harmony. The biryani, meanwhile, is loaded with whole spices, long-grain rice and clarified butter, which provide enhanced flavour to the layers of rice and produce.

Squash and Mushroom Biryani

A celebration of curry dishes starts on early October, so what better way to celebrate than with a rich, warming, all-in-one-pot biryani? If you like, make the spiced vegetable mixture element ahead of time and assemble all components on the day you plan to eat.

Preparation 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, 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, cut into bite-sized pieces
300g button mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
400ml vegetable stock, or use water
Salt, to taste
2 tbsp chopped coriander, to garnish

Rice preparation
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, 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 curry base. Melt the ghee in a sizable, heavy-based saucepan on a medium heat, incorporate the cumin seeds, bay and clove spices, and fry for a few seconds. Stir in the sliced onion and cook, stirring often, for about half an hour, until tender. When the onions start to brown, remove half to a separate dish and set aside (you'll use them later during the assembly).

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

Mix in the pumpkin pieces and mushroom halves, stir to coat in the spice mixture, then fry for three minutes. Pour in the liquid, and add salt to taste. Heat until boiling, then lower the heat, place lid and cook gently for 18-20 minutes, mixing midway to make sure nothing's stuck to the base of the pan. Garnish with fresh cilantro, then take off the heat.

Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Rinse the rice, then place it in a pot with a litre of water and the bay, cardamom and salt. Bring to a boil, simmer for around ten minutes, until partially cooked, then strain.

For assembling the layered dish, place a tablespoon of melted ghee in a casserole pot for which you have a tight-fitting lid. Ladle in half the spiced vegetables, then top that with some the rice. Add a portion the saffron infusion, ginger strips, mint, ground cardamom and spice blend, then add the reserved fried onions. Top with the remaining curry mixture, then arrange the leftover rice. Finish with the rest of clarified butter, saffron liquid, ginger, mint, cardamom powder and garam masala.

Cover with parchment, cover with the lid, then cook on the middle shelf of the oven for 15-17 minutes, so all the flavours soak into the grains. Take out of the heat, leave to rest, still covered, for 10 minutes, then lift off the lid and present with yogurt sauce and fresh salad.

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

The Hindi term "pickling style" describes seasoning a preparation using pickling spices, and the mix contains mustard seeds, fennel seeds, fenugreek, cumin, hing and kalonji, 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
Cooking 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, as needed
1 tbsp jaggery, or dark brown sugar
2 tsp dried mango powder

Put the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and fennel seeds in a mortar, crush coarsely, then reserve. Heat the cooking oil in a spacious skillet or kadhai on a moderate flame. Introduce the ground spices and the asafoetida, and fry, stirring, for a few seconds. Add the chopped ginger, cook for a short while, then add the squash, chili powder and turmeric, and sauté, stirring, for five minutes more.

Pour 50ml liquid to the pot, season with seasoning to taste and heat until bubbling. Place lid, turn down the flame, and simmer for about twenty minutes, mixing midway through. Mix in the palm sugar, breaking up chunks a bit, then add the mango powder, mix thoroughly and serve warm with flatbreads or naan.