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It's squash season and my favourite season, especially for all the spiced dishes and other hearty meals of fall. Today's Northwest Indian stir-fry is one I cook often, and the blend of fresh ginger, chili and palm sugar lends it a wonderful balance of flavour. This layered rice dish, on the other hand, is packed with whole spices, long-grain rice and ghee, which provide so much more flavour to the layers of grains and vegetables.

Mushroom and Squash Biryani

National curry week begins around October 6, so what better way to mark the occasion than with a flavorful, warming, all-in-one-pot biryani? For convenience, prepare the vegetable curry component ahead of time and layer all components on the day you want to serve.

Preparation 20 min
Cooking 2 hr
Yields 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, cubed
300g button mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
400ml vegetable stock, or water
Salt, as needed
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, as accompaniments

First make the gravy. Melt the clarified butter in a sizable, thick-bottomed pot on a moderate flame, add the cumin, bay leaves and cloves, and sauté for a brief moment. Add the sliced onion and sauté, 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 layering).

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

Add the squash and mushrooms, stir to coat in the spice mixture, then fry for three minutes. Pour in 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 make sure no sticking to the base of the pot. Garnish with coriander, then take off the stove.

Preheat the oven to moderately hot temperature. Rinse the rice, then place it in a pot with a quart of water and the bay leaves, cardamom pods and seasoning. Bring to a boil, cook for 10-12 minutes, until three-quarters cooked, then drain.

To build 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 vegetable curry, then layer with some the cooked grains. Sprinkle a portion the saffron infusion, ginger, mint, cardamom powder and garam masala, then add the reserved fried onions. Layer with the remaining vegetable curry, then arrange the remaining rice. Top with the remaining clarified butter, saffron liquid, ginger, mint, ground cardamom and spice mix.

Cover with baking paper, cover with the lid, then bake on the middle shelf of the oven for about fifteen minutes, so all the flavours infuse the rice. Remove of the heat, allow to stand, keeping covered, for several minutes, then lift off the cover and serve with raita and fresh salad.

Traditional Indian Achari Kaddu (Pumpkin with Pickling Spices Sauté)

The Hindi term "achari" refers to flavouring a preparation using pickling spices, and the combination contains mustard seeds, fennel, fenugreek seeds, cumin, hing and kalonji, but their use extends beyond in pickles. The blend also appears in all manner of spiced dishes and stir-fries, like this recipe.

Prep 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, minced
750g squash flesh, or use pumpkin, cubed
1 tsp mild chilli powder
½ tsp ground turmeric
Salt, to taste
1 tbsp jaggery, or dark brown sugar
2 tsp dried mango powder

Place the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and fennel in a mortar, crush coarsely, then set aside. Heat the oil in a spacious skillet or Indian wok on a medium heat. Add the crushed spices and the asafoetida, and sauté, stirring, for a few seconds. Mix in the chopped ginger, cook for a short while, then stir in the pumpkin pieces, chili powder and turmeric, and sauté, stirring, for five minutes more.

Add 50ml liquid to the pan, salt with salt to taste and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat, and simmer for 20 minutes, mixing midway through. Mix in the palm sugar, breaking up chunks a bit, then incorporate the dried mango, stir well and serve warm with flatbreads or naan.