🔗 Share this article

It's pumpkin season and most anticipated time of the year, not least for all the spiced dishes and other comfort food of fall. This Rajasthani stir-fry is a regular in my kitchen, and the combination of fresh ginger, chili and palm sugar lends it a wonderful flavor harmony. This layered rice dish, on the other hand, is packed with aromatic spices, long-grain rice and ghee, which provide enhanced flavour to the layers of rice and vegetables.

Squash and Mushroom Biryani

A celebration of curry dishes begins around early October, so how perfect to celebrate than with a rich, comforting, all-in-one-pot biryani? If you like, make the spiced vegetable mixture element ahead of time and layer all components on the occasion you want to serve.

Preparation 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, lengthwise slit
5cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into matchsticks
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, cleaned and halved
400ml vegetable stock, or water
Salt, as needed
2 tbsp chopped coriander, to garnish

For the rice
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

Begin by preparing the curry base. Melt the ghee in a sizable, thick-bottomed pot on a moderate flame, add the cumin seeds, bay leaves and clove spices, and fry for a few seconds. Add the onion slices and sauté, stirring often, for 30-35 minutes, until softened. Once onions begin caramelizing, remove half to a separate dish and reserve (you'll use them later during the layering).

Add the fresh chilies and ginger strips to the remaining onions, fry for a minute, then mix in the tomato puree, chilli powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder, and sauté for a minute. Reduce to a low heat, blend in the yogurt and cook for a couple of minutes.

Mix in the squash and mushrooms, toss to cover in the spices, then fry for several minutes. Add the liquid, and season to taste. Heat until boiling, then turn down the heat, cover and simmer for 18-20 minutes, mixing midway to make sure nothing's stuck to the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle with coriander, then remove from the heat.

Heat the oven to moderately hot temperature. Wash the rice, then put it in a saucepan with a quart of water and the bay, cardamom pods and seasoning. Heat to boiling, cook for 10-12 minutes, until partially cooked, then strain.

To build the biryani, place a tablespoon of warmed ghee in a oven-safe dish for which you have a tight-fitting lid. Ladle in half the vegetable curry, then top that with some the cooked grains. Sprinkle half the saffron infusion, ginger, mint, cardamom powder and garam masala, then top with the caramelized onions. Top with the remaining curry mixture, then spoon on the remaining grains. Top with the remaining clarified butter, saffron water, ginger, mint, cardamom powder and spice mix.

Seal with parchment, place lid securely, then cook on the middle shelf of the oven for 15-17 minutes, so all the flavours infuse the grains. Take out of the heat, leave to rest, keeping covered, for 10 minutes, then lift off the lid and present with yogurt sauce and fresh salad.

Rajasthani Achari Kaddu (Squash with Spice Blend Stir-Fry)

The Hindi term "achari" refers to flavouring a preparation using preserving spices, and the mix includes mustard, fennel, fenugreek, cumin seeds, asafoetida and nigella, but they're not used only in pickles. The blend also appears in various types of curries and stir-fries, such as this one.

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, peeled and finely chopped
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, fenugreek seeds and fennel seeds in a spice grinder, crush coarsely, then reserve. Heat the oil in a spacious skillet or kadhai on a medium heat. Introduce the crushed spices and the asafoetida, and fry, stirring, for a brief moment. Mix in the chopped ginger, cook for a short while, then stir in the squash, chilli and turmeric, and fry, stirring, for five minutes more.

Add 50ml liquid to the pot, salt with salt to taste and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat, and leave to cook for 20 minutes, mixing midway through. Add the palm sugar, crushing some of the pieces a bit, then incorporate the dried mango, stir well and present hot with chapatis or leavened bread.