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It's squash season and most anticipated season, especially for all the curries and other comfort food of autumn. Today's Rajasthani stir-fry is one I cook often, and the blend of ginger, chilli and palm sugar gives it a lovely balance of flavour. The biryani, on the other hand, is packed with aromatic spices, long-grain rice and clarified butter, which give so much more taste to the layers of grains and produce.

Squash and Mushroom Biryani

National curry week starts on early October, so how perfect to mark the occasion than with a rich, warming, single-pot layered rice dish? If you like, make the vegetable curry component in advance and layer everything on the occasion you plan to eat.

Prep 20 min
Cooking 2 hr
Serves 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, peeled and 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, cut into bite-sized pieces
300g button mushrooms, cleaned and halved
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

Biryani assembly
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, to serve

First make the curry base. Melt the ghee in a large, heavy-based saucepan on a medium heat, add the cumin seeds, bay and cloves, and fry for a brief moment. Stir in the onion slices and cook, stirring often, for 30-35 minutes, until softened. Once onions begin caramelizing, transfer half of them to a plate and reserve (for later use during the layering).

Introduce the green chillies and ginger strips to the onions in pan, fry for a brief period, then mix in the tomato puree, chili powder, turmeric and coriander, and fry for a minute. Reduce to a gentle flame, blend in the yogurt and cook for a couple of minutes.

Add the pumpkin pieces and mushroom halves, stir to coat in the spices, then cook for three minutes. Pour in the stock or water, and season to taste. Heat until boiling, then turn down the heat, cover and cook gently for 18-20 minutes, stirring once halfway to ensure no sticking to the bottom of the pot. Garnish with coriander, then remove from the heat.

Preheat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Wash the rice, then place it in a saucepan with a quart of water and the bay, cardamom pods and seasoning. Heat to boiling, simmer for around ten minutes, until three-quarters cooked, then strain.

To build the layered dish, put a tablespoon of melted ghee in a casserole pot for which you have a tight-fitting lid. Spoon half the vegetable curry, then top that with some the rice. Sprinkle half the saffron water, ginger strips, mint, cardamom powder and garam masala, then add the reserved fried onions. Layer with the remaining curry mixture, then arrange the remaining rice. Top with the rest of clarified butter, saffron liquid, ginger, mint, cardamom powder and spice mix.

Seal with baking paper, place lid securely, then bake on the center rack of the oven for 15-17 minutes, so all the flavours infuse the rice. Take out of the oven, leave to rest, still covered, for several minutes, then remove the lid and present with yogurt sauce and fresh salad.

Rajasthani Achari Kaddu (Squash with Pickling Spices Stir-Fry)

The Indian word "achari" describes seasoning a preparation using preserving spices, and the combination includes mustard, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds, cumin, asafoetida and kalonji, but they're not used only in pickles. This mixture also features in various types of curries and stir-fries, such as this one.

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, 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 and fennel in a spice grinder, roughly grind, then reserve. Heat the oil in a large frying pan or kadhai on a moderate flame. Add the ground spices and the asafoetida, and fry, mixing, for a brief moment. Mix in the ginger, fry for a short while, then add the squash, chilli and turmeric, and sauté, tossing, for five minutes more.

Add a small amount water to the pan, salt with salt to taste and bring to a boil. Place lid, turn down the heat, and simmer for about twenty minutes, mixing midway through. Mix in the jaggery, crushing some of the pieces a bit, then add the mango powder, mix thoroughly and present hot with flatbreads or leavened bread.