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This marks pumpkin season and my favourite season, especially for all the curries and other hearty meals of autumn. Today's Rajasthani sautéed dish is one I cook often, and the blend of fresh ginger, chili and palm sugar lends it a lovely balance of flavour. This layered rice dish, on the other hand, is packed with whole spices, basmati and ghee, which give so much more taste to the strata of grains and vegetables.

Squash and Mushroom Biryani

National curry week begins around October 6, so what better way to celebrate than with a rich, warming, all-in-one-pot layered rice dish? For convenience, make the vegetable curry component in advance and assemble all components on the occasion you plan to eat.

Prep 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, slit open lengthways
5cm piece fresh ginger, julienned
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 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, julienned
3 tbsp finely chopped fresh mint leaves
1 tsp ground cardamom powder
1 tsp garam masala
Raita and salad, to serve

First make the gravy. Melt the ghee in a sizable, heavy-based saucepan on a medium heat, add the cumin, bay and cloves, and fry for a brief moment. Stir in the sliced onion and cook, frequently turning, for about half an hour, until tender. Once onions begin caramelizing, remove half to a separate dish and set aside (you'll use them later during the assembly).

Introduce the green chillies and ginger to the remaining onions, fry for a brief period, then stir in the tomato paste, chili powder, turmeric and coriander, and sauté for a short while. Turn down to a gentle flame, stir in the yogurt and cook for two minutes.

Add the pumpkin pieces and mushroom halves, toss to cover in the spice mixture, then fry for three minutes. Pour in the liquid, and season to taste. Heat until boiling, then turn down the heat, cover and cook gently for 18-20 minutes, mixing midway to make sure no sticking to the bottom of the pan. Garnish with coriander, then remove from the stove.

Preheat the oven to moderately hot temperature. Wash the rice, then place it in a saucepan with a quart of water and the bay leaves, cardamom and salt. Heat to boiling, simmer for around ten minutes, until three-quarters cooked, then drain.

To build the layered dish, put a tablespoon of warmed ghee in a oven-safe dish for which you have a secure cover. Spoon half the spiced vegetables, then top that with half the rice. Add half the saffron water, ginger, mint leaves, cardamom powder and garam masala, then add the reserved fried onions. Top with the rest of vegetable curry, then arrange the remaining rice. Finish with the remaining clarified butter, saffron water, ginger, mint, cardamom powder and garam masala.

Seal with baking paper, cover with the lid, then cook on the center rack of the oven for 15-17 minutes, so the aromas soak into the grains. Remove of the heat, allow to stand, still covered, for 10 minutes, then remove the cover and serve with raita and fresh salad.

Rajasthani Achari Kaddu (Pumpkin with Pickling Spices Sauté)

The Indian word "achari" describes seasoning a dish using pickling spices, and the mix includes mustard seeds, fennel seeds, fenugreek, cumin seeds, asafoetida and nigella, but they're not used only in pickles. This mixture also appears in all manner of spiced dishes and sautéed preparations, such as this one.

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, minced
750g squash flesh, or use pumpkin, cubed
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

Put the mustard, fenugreek seeds and fennel seeds in a spice grinder, crush coarsely, then reserve. Heat the cooking oil in a large frying pan or Indian wok on a medium heat. Add the crushed spices and the hing, and fry, stirring, for a few seconds. Add the ginger, cook for a minute, then add the squash, chilli and turmeric, and fry, tossing, for several additional minutes.

Pour 50ml water to the pan, season with salt to taste and bring to a boil. Place lid, reduce the heat, and simmer for about twenty minutes, mixing midway through. Add the jaggery, breaking up chunks a bit, then incorporate the mango powder, stir well and serve warm with chapatis or naan.