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This marks squash season and most anticipated time of the year, especially for all the spiced dishes and other hearty meals of fall. 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 aromatic spices, basmati and clarified butter, which provide so much more taste to the strata of rice and produce.

Squash and Mushroom Biryani

A celebration of curry dishes begins around early October, so what better way to mark the occasion than with a rich, warming, all-in-one-pot layered rice dish? If you like, make the vegetable curry component in advance and assemble all components on the day you plan to eat.

Preparation 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, 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, cut into bite-sized pieces
300g button mushrooms, cleaned and halved
400ml vegetable stock, or water
Salt, as needed
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, 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. Heat the clarified butter in a sizable, thick-bottomed pot on a medium heat, add the cumin, bay and clove spices, and fry for a brief moment. Stir in the sliced onion and cook, stirring often, for 30-35 minutes, until tender. When the onions start to brown, remove half to a plate and set aside (for later use during the assembly).

Add the green chillies and ginger strips to the onions in pan, fry for a minute, then stir in the tomato paste, chili powder, turmeric and coriander powder, and fry for a short while. Reduce to a gentle flame, stir in the yogurt and cook for a couple of minutes.

Add the pumpkin pieces and mushroom halves, toss to cover in the spice mixture, then fry for several minutes. Add the stock or water, and add salt to taste. Bring to a boil, then lower the temperature, place lid and simmer for about twenty minutes, mixing midway to ensure nothing's stuck to the bottom of the pot. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro, then take off the stove.

Heat the oven to moderately hot temperature. Rinse the basmati, then place it in a saucepan with a quart of water and the bay leaves, cardamom and seasoning. Bring to a boil, cook for 10-12 minutes, until partially cooked, then strain.

For assembling the layered dish, place a spoonful of melted ghee in a casserole pot for which you have a secure cover. Spoon half the spiced vegetables, then layer with some the cooked grains. Sprinkle half the saffron infusion, ginger strips, mint leaves, ground cardamom and garam masala, then add the reserved fried onions. Top with the remaining vegetable curry, then arrange the leftover grains. Finish with the rest of clarified butter, saffron water, ginger, mint, cardamom powder and garam masala.

Cover with parchment, cover with the lid, then bake on the center rack of the oven for 15-17 minutes, so all the flavours soak into the grains. Take out of the heat, leave to rest, still covered, for several minutes, then lift off the cover and present with raita and fresh salad.

Traditional Indian Achari Kaddu (Pumpkin with Spice Blend Sauté)

The Hindi term "achari" describes seasoning a dish using preserving spices, and the combination includes mustard seeds, fennel, fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, hing and nigella, but they're not used only in pickles. The blend also features in various types of spiced dishes and sautéed preparations, like this recipe.

Prep 10 min
Cooking 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, cut into bite-sized pieces
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, fenugreek and fennel seeds in a spice grinder, roughly grind, then set aside. Heat the cooking oil in a large frying pan or kadhai on a moderate flame. Introduce the ground spices and the asafoetida, and fry, stirring, for a few seconds. Add the ginger, fry for a minute, then add the pumpkin pieces, chilli and turmeric, and fry, tossing, for several additional minutes.

Pour 50ml water to the pan, season with salt to taste and heat until bubbling. Place lid, turn down the flame, and leave to cook for 20 minutes, mixing midway through. Add the palm sugar, breaking up chunks a little, then incorporate the mango powder, stir well and serve warm with flatbreads or leavened bread.