🔗 Share this article

It's squash season and most anticipated time of the year, especially for all the curries and other hearty meals of fall. This Rajasthani stir-fry is one I cook often, and the blend of ginger, chili and jaggery lends it a lovely flavor harmony. The biryani, meanwhile, is loaded with whole spices, basmati and ghee, which provide enhanced flavour to the strata of grains and vegetables.

Mushroom and Squash Biryani

National curry week begins around early October, so how perfect to celebrate than with a rich, warming, single-pot biryani? For convenience, make the spiced vegetable mixture element ahead of time and assemble everything on the occasion you plan to eat.

Preparation 20 min
Cooking 2 hr
Yields 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, slit open lengthways
5cm piece fresh ginger, julienned
2 tbsp tomato puree
¼ tsp mild chilli powder, or kashmiri chilli powder
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp coriander powder
1 heaped tbsp greek yoghurt
300g butternut squash flesh, cubed
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, soaked in 3 tbsp 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

First make the curry base. Melt the clarified butter in a large, thick-bottomed pot on a moderate flame, add the cumin seeds, bay and cloves, and sauté for a brief moment. Stir in the sliced onion and cook, stirring often, for about half an hour, until softened. 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 green chillies and ginger strips to the onions in pan, fry for a brief period, then mix in the tomato paste, chilli powder, turmeric and coriander powder, and sauté for a short while. Turn down to a gentle flame, stir in the yogurt and cook for a couple of minutes.

Add the squash and mushrooms, stir to coat in the spice mixture, then cook for several minutes. Pour in the liquid, and add salt to taste. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat, cover and simmer for about twenty minutes, stirring once halfway to ensure nothing's stuck to the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle with coriander, then remove from the heat.

Preheat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Rinse the basmati, then place it in a pot with a litre of water and the bay leaves, cardamom and seasoning. Bring to a boil, simmer for around ten minutes, until three-quarters cooked, then strain.

For assembling 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 cooked grains. Sprinkle half the saffron water, ginger strips, mint leaves, cardamom powder and garam masala, then add the caramelized onions. Top with the remaining vegetable curry, then arrange the leftover rice. Finish with the remaining ghee, saffron liquid, ginger, mint, cardamom powder and spice mix.

Cover with baking paper, place lid securely, then cook on the middle shelf of the oven for 15-17 minutes, so the aromas infuse the rice. Take out of the oven, leave to rest, still covered, for several minutes, then remove the lid and serve with yogurt sauce and fresh salad.

Traditional Indian Achari Kaddu (Pumpkin with Spice Blend Sauté)

The Hindi term "achari" describes flavouring a preparation using pickling spices, and the mix contains mustard seeds, fennel, fenugreek, cumin seeds, hing and kalonji, but they're not used only in preserved foods. This mixture also features in various types of curries and stir-fries, like this recipe.

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, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 tsp mild chilli powder
½ tsp ground turmeric
Salt, as needed
1 tbsp jaggery, or substitute with brown sugar
2 tsp dried mango powder

Place the mustard, fenugreek seeds and fennel seeds in a spice grinder, crush coarsely, then reserve. Put the oil in a spacious skillet or kadhai on a medium heat. Introduce the crushed spices and the asafoetida, and sauté, stirring, for a brief moment. Mix in the ginger, fry for a short while, then stir in the squash, chilli and turmeric, and fry, tossing, for several additional minutes.

Pour 50ml water to the pan, salt with seasoning to taste and heat until bubbling. Cover, reduce the heat, and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring once halfway. Mix in the jaggery, crushing some of the pieces a little, then incorporate the dried mango, stir well and present hot with flatbreads or naan.