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It's squash season and my favourite time of the year, especially for all the curries and other comfort food of autumn. This Northwest Indian stir-fry is a regular in my kitchen, and the blend of ginger, chilli and palm sugar gives it a wonderful balance of flavour. The biryani, meanwhile, is packed with whole spices, basmati and ghee, which provide enhanced flavour to the strata of rice and produce.

Squash and Mushroom Biryani

A celebration of curry dishes starts on October 6, so what better way to mark the occasion than with a rich, comforting, all-in-one-pot biryani? For convenience, make the spiced vegetable mixture component ahead of time and layer everything on the day 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 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 use water
Salt, to taste
2 tbsp chopped coriander, to garnish

For the rice
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, as accompaniments

First make the curry base. Melt the clarified butter in a large, thick-bottomed pot on a moderate flame, incorporate the cumin seeds, bay leaves and cloves, and fry for a few seconds. Add the sliced onion and sauté, stirring often, for 30-35 minutes, until tender. Once onions begin caramelizing, remove half to a separate dish and reserve (for later use during the assembly).

Introduce the fresh chilies and ginger to the remaining onions, fry for a minute, then mix in the tomato puree, chilli powder, turmeric and coriander powder, and fry for a minute. Turn down to a low heat, stir in the yoghurt and simmer for two minutes.

Add the squash and mushroom halves, toss to cover in the spices, then fry for several minutes. Pour in the liquid, and add salt to taste. Heat until boiling, then turn down the heat, cover and cook gently for 18-20 minutes, mixing midway to ensure no sticking to the base of the pan. Garnish with coriander, then remove from the stove.

Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Rinse the basmati, then put it in a saucepan with a litre of water and the bay, cardamom pods and seasoning. Heat to boiling, cook for around ten minutes, until partially cooked, then strain.

To build the biryani, put 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 half the cooked grains. Add half the saffron water, ginger strips, mint leaves, ground cardamom and garam masala, then add the reserved fried onions. Top with the remaining vegetable curry, then arrange the remaining rice. Top with the remaining ghee, saffron water, ginger, mint, ground cardamom and spice mix.

Cover with parchment, place lid securely, then cook on the middle shelf of the oven for about fifteen minutes, so the aromas infuse the grains. Take out of the oven, allow to stand, still covered, for 10 minutes, then lift off the lid and serve with raita and salad.

Traditional Indian Achari Kaddu (Squash with Spice Blend Sauté)

The Hindi term "achari" describes seasoning a preparation using preserving spices, and the mix includes mustard seeds, fennel seeds, fenugreek, cumin, hing and nigella, but their use extends beyond in preserved foods. This mixture also appears in all manner of curries and stir-fries, 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 pumpkin, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 tsp mild chilli powder
½ tsp ground turmeric
Salt, as needed
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 reserve. Put the cooking oil in a spacious skillet or kadhai on a medium heat. Add the crushed spices and the hing, and sauté, mixing, for a brief moment. Add the chopped ginger, fry for a short while, then stir in the squash, chilli and turmeric, and sauté, stirring, for five minutes more.

Pour a small amount liquid to the pan, salt with salt to taste and bring to a boil. Place lid, reduce the heat, and leave to cook for 20 minutes, stirring once halfway. Mix in the palm sugar, crushing some of the pieces a little, then incorporate the mango powder, mix thoroughly and present hot with chapatis or leavened bread.