🔗 Share this article

This marks squash season and my favourite season, especially for all the curries and other hearty meals of autumn. This Northwest Indian stir-fry is one I cook often, and the blend of fresh ginger, chili and jaggery gives it a wonderful flavor harmony. The biryani, on the other hand, is loaded with aromatic spices, basmati and clarified butter, which provide enhanced flavour to the strata of rice and vegetables.

Squash and Mushroom Biryani

National curry week starts on early October, so how perfect to mark the occasion than with a flavorful, comforting, single-pot layered rice dish? For convenience, prepare the spiced vegetable mixture component in advance and assemble everything on the day you want to serve.

Prep 20 min
Cooking 2 hr
Serves 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, lengthwise slit
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, trimmed and sliced
400ml vegetable stock, or use water
Salt, to taste
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

Begin by preparing the curry base. Melt the ghee in a sizable, heavy-based saucepan on a moderate flame, add the cumin, bay and clove spices, and fry for a brief moment. Add the sliced onion and sauté, frequently turning, for about half an hour, until tender. When the onions start to brown, remove half to a separate dish and reserve (for later use during the layering).

Introduce the fresh chilies and ginger strips to the remaining onions, fry for a minute, then mix in the tomato paste, chili powder, turmeric and coriander powder, and fry for a short while. Turn down to a low heat, blend in the yoghurt and simmer for a couple of minutes.

Add the squash and mushroom halves, stir to coat in the spice mixture, then cook for several minutes. Pour in the liquid, and season to taste. Heat until boiling, then turn down the temperature, cover and cook gently for about twenty minutes, mixing midway to make sure no sticking to the bottom of the pan. Garnish with fresh cilantro, then take off the stove.

Heat the oven to moderately hot temperature. Wash the basmati, then place it in a saucepan with a quart of water and the bay, cardamom and seasoning. Heat to boiling, cook for around ten minutes, until partially cooked, then strain.

For assembling the biryani, place a tablespoon of warmed ghee in a casserole pot for which you have a secure cover. Ladle in half the spiced vegetables, then top that with half the cooked grains. Sprinkle half the saffron water, ginger strips, mint leaves, ground cardamom and garam masala, then add the reserved fried onions. Layer with the rest of curry mixture, then arrange the remaining rice. Top with the remaining ghee, saffron water, ginger, mint, cardamom powder and garam masala.

Seal with baking paper, place lid securely, then cook on the middle shelf of the oven for about fifteen minutes, so the aromas soak into the rice. Take out of the oven, allow to stand, keeping covered, for 10 minutes, then lift off the lid and serve with yogurt sauce and fresh salad.

Rajasthani Achari Kaddu (Squash with Pickling Spices Stir-Fry)

The Indian word "pickling style" refers to seasoning a dish using pickling spices, and the mix includes mustard seeds, fennel seeds, fenugreek, cumin seeds, hing and kalonji, but they're not used only in pickles. This mixture also appears in all manner of curries and stir-fries, such as this one.

Preparation 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 substitute with brown sugar
2 tsp dried mango powder

Place the mustard, fenugreek and fennel seeds in a mortar, roughly grind, then set aside. Heat the cooking oil in a large frying pan or Indian wok on a moderate flame. Introduce the crushed spices and the asafoetida, and fry, stirring, for a few seconds. Add the chopped ginger, cook for a minute, then stir in the pumpkin pieces, chili powder and turmeric, and fry, stirring, for five minutes more.

Add a small amount liquid to the pan, season with seasoning to taste and heat until bubbling. Cover, turn down the flame, and simmer for about twenty minutes, mixing midway through. Mix in the palm sugar, breaking up chunks a little, then incorporate the dried mango, mix thoroughly and present hot with flatbreads or naan.