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This marks pumpkin season and my favourite season, not least for all the spiced dishes and other hearty meals of fall. Today's Northwest Indian sautéed dish is a regular in my kitchen, and the blend of ginger, chili and jaggery lends it a lovely balance of flavour. This layered rice dish, on the other hand, is packed with whole spices, basmati and clarified butter, which provide so much more taste to the strata of rice and produce.

Mushroom and Squash Biryani

National curry week begins around early October, so how perfect to mark the occasion than with a flavorful, warming, all-in-one-pot biryani? If you like, make the spiced vegetable mixture element in advance and assemble everything on the day you want to serve.

Prep 20 min
Cook 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, 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 water
Salt, to taste
2 tbsp chopped coriander, for serving

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, 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 large, thick-bottomed pot on a medium heat, incorporate the cumin seeds, bay leaves and cloves, and sauté for a few seconds. Add the sliced onion and sauté, stirring often, for about half an hour, until tender. Once onions begin caramelizing, remove half to a separate dish and reserve (you'll use them later during the layering).

Introduce the fresh chilies and ginger strips to the onions in pan, cook for a brief period, then stir in the tomato puree, chilli powder, turmeric powder and coriander, and fry for a minute. Turn down to a gentle flame, blend in the yogurt and simmer for two minutes.

Mix in the pumpkin pieces and mushrooms, stir to coat in the spices, then fry for three minutes. Add the liquid, and season to taste. Heat until boiling, then lower the heat, cover and cook gently for about twenty minutes, stirring once halfway to ensure nothing's stuck to the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro, then take off the stove.

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

For assembling the layered dish, place a tablespoon of melted ghee in a oven-safe dish for which you have a secure cover. Spoon half the spiced vegetables, then layer with some the rice. Sprinkle half the saffron water, ginger strips, mint, ground cardamom and garam masala, then add the reserved fried onions. Layer with the rest of curry mixture, then spoon on the leftover grains. Top with the rest of ghee, saffron liquid, ginger, mint, cardamom powder and spice mix.

Cover with baking paper, place lid securely, then bake on the center rack of the oven for about fifteen minutes, so the aromas soak into the rice. Remove of the oven, leave to rest, still covered, for 10 minutes, then lift off the lid and serve with raita and fresh salad.

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

The Hindi term "pickling style" refers to seasoning a dish using pickling spices, and the combination includes mustard, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds, cumin, hing and kalonji, but their use extends beyond in preserved foods. The blend also appears in all manner 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 use 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

Place the mustard seeds, fenugreek and fennel in a mortar, roughly grind, then set aside. Heat the oil in a spacious skillet or kadhai on a medium heat. Add the ground spices and the hing, and fry, stirring, for a few seconds. Mix in the ginger, fry for a minute, then add the pumpkin pieces, chili powder and turmeric, and sauté, stirring, for five minutes more.

Add 50ml water to the pot, season with salt to taste and bring to a boil. Place lid, turn down the heat, and leave to cook for about twenty minutes, stirring once halfway. Mix in the jaggery, crushing some of the pieces a bit, then incorporate the dried mango, mix thoroughly and serve warm with flatbreads or naan.