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It's pumpkin season and my favourite time of the year, not least for all the spiced dishes and other hearty meals of autumn. Today's Rajasthani stir-fry is a regular in my kitchen, and the blend of fresh ginger, chilli and palm sugar gives it a wonderful balance of flavour. The biryani, meanwhile, is packed with whole spices, long-grain rice and clarified butter, which provide enhanced taste to the layers of grains and vegetables.

Mushroom and Squash Biryani

National curry week starts on early October, so what better way to mark the occasion than with a flavorful, comforting, single-pot layered rice dish? If you like, prepare the spiced vegetable mixture element in advance and layer everything on the occasion you plan to eat.

Preparation 20 min
Cooking 2 hr
Serves 4

For the vegetable curry base
4 tbsp ghee, or 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, peeled and cut into matchsticks
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, cubed
300g button mushrooms, cleaned and halved
400ml vegetable stock, or 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, soaked in 3 tbsp 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 curry base. Heat the clarified butter in a sizable, thick-bottomed pot on a medium heat, incorporate the cumin, bay leaves and clove spices, and sauté for a few seconds. 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 separate dish and set aside (you'll use them later during the layering).

Introduce the green chillies and ginger to the remaining onions, fry for a minute, then stir in the tomato puree, chili powder, turmeric and coriander powder, and fry for a minute. Turn down to a low heat, stir in the yogurt and simmer for a couple of minutes.

Add the squash and mushroom halves, stir to coat in the spices, then cook for three minutes. Pour in the stock or water, and season to taste. Heat until boiling, then lower the heat, cover and simmer for 18-20 minutes, stirring once halfway to make sure nothing's stuck to the base of the pan. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro, then remove from the heat.

Preheat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Wash the rice, then put it in a saucepan with a litre of water and the bay, cardamom and salt. Bring to a boil, simmer for around ten minutes, until three-quarters cooked, then strain.

To build the biryani, place a spoonful of warmed ghee in a casserole pot for which you have a tight-fitting lid. Ladle in one portion the spiced vegetables, then layer with some the cooked grains. Add a portion the saffron water, ginger, mint leaves, ground cardamom and garam masala, then top with the reserved fried onions. Layer with the remaining curry mixture, then spoon on the remaining grains. Finish with the remaining clarified butter, saffron liquid, ginger, mint, ground cardamom and spice mix.

Cover with baking paper, place lid securely, then cook on the middle shelf of the oven for about fifteen minutes, so the aromas infuse the grains. Remove of the heat, allow to stand, keeping covered, for several minutes, then lift off the lid and serve with raita and salad.

Traditional Indian Achari Kaddu (Pumpkin with Spice Blend Stir-Fry)

The Indian word "achari" refers to flavouring a preparation using preserving spices, and the combination contains mustard seeds, fennel, fenugreek, cumin seeds, asafoetida and kalonji, but their use extends beyond in pickles. The blend also appears in all manner of spiced dishes 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, peeled and finely chopped
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 seeds, fenugreek seeds and fennel in a spice grinder, roughly grind, then reserve. Put the oil in a large frying pan or kadhai on a moderate flame. Introduce the ground spices and the hing, and sauté, stirring, for a brief moment. Mix in the chopped ginger, cook for a minute, then add the pumpkin pieces, chili powder and turmeric, and sauté, stirring, for five minutes more.

Add a small amount water to the pot, season with seasoning to taste and heat until bubbling. Cover, reduce the heat, and leave to cook for about twenty minutes, stirring once halfway. Add the jaggery, crushing some of the pieces a bit, then incorporate the mango powder, mix thoroughly and present hot with flatbreads or leavened bread.