🔗 Share this article

This marks squash season and my favourite time of the year, not least for all the curries and other comfort food of fall. This Northwest Indian stir-fry is one I cook often, and the combination of fresh ginger, chili and jaggery gives it a wonderful balance of flavour. The biryani, meanwhile, is loaded with whole spices, basmati and clarified butter, which give enhanced taste to the layers of rice and produce.

Mushroom and Squash Biryani

A celebration of curry dishes begins around October 6, so how perfect to celebrate than with a flavorful, comforting, single-pot biryani? If you like, make the spiced vegetable mixture component ahead of time and assemble all components on the day you plan to eat.

Preparation 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, 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 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, as accompaniments

Begin by preparing the gravy. Melt the ghee in a sizable, thick-bottomed pot on a moderate flame, add the cumin, bay and clove spices, and fry for a few seconds. Add the sliced onion and sauté, stirring often, for 30-35 minutes, until softened. Once onions begin caramelizing, transfer half of them to a plate and reserve (for later use during the assembly).

Introduce the green chillies and ginger to the remaining onions, fry for a minute, then mix in the tomato paste, chilli powder, turmeric and coriander, and fry for a minute. Turn down to a gentle flame, blend in the yogurt and cook for two minutes.

Mix in the pumpkin pieces and mushroom halves, stir to coat in the spices, then cook for three minutes. Add the liquid, and add salt to taste. Heat until boiling, then turn down the temperature, cover and cook gently for about twenty minutes, mixing midway to ensure no sticking to the base of the pot. Garnish with coriander, then take off the stove.

Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Wash the basmati, then put it in a pot with a quart of water and the bay leaves, cardamom and seasoning. Bring to a boil, simmer for around ten minutes, until three-quarters cooked, then drain.

To build the biryani, put a spoonful of melted ghee in a oven-safe dish for which you have a secure cover. Ladle in half the spiced vegetables, then layer with some the rice. Add half the saffron water, ginger strips, mint leaves, cardamom powder and garam masala, then top with the reserved fried onions. Top with the remaining vegetable curry, then spoon on the remaining grains. Finish with the remaining ghee, saffron liquid, ginger, mint, ground cardamom and spice mix.

Cover with baking paper, place lid securely, then bake on the middle shelf of the oven for about fifteen minutes, so all the flavours soak into the rice. Remove of the heat, allow to stand, still covered, for several minutes, then remove the cover and serve with raita and fresh salad.

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

The Hindi term "achari" describes seasoning a dish using preserving spices, and the mix includes mustard, fennel seeds, fenugreek, cumin, hing and kalonji, but they're not used only in pickles. This mixture also appears in various types of spiced dishes and sautéed preparations, 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 dark brown sugar
2 tsp dried mango powder

Put the mustard seeds, fenugreek and fennel seeds in a mortar, crush coarsely, then reserve. Put the oil in a large frying pan or kadhai on a moderate flame. Introduce the crushed spices and the hing, and fry, mixing, for a few seconds. Add the ginger, fry for a minute, then stir in the squash, chilli and turmeric, and fry, tossing, for several additional minutes.

Pour a small amount water to the pot, salt with salt to taste and bring to a boil. Place lid, turn down the flame, and simmer for 20 minutes, mixing midway through. Mix in the palm sugar, crushing some of the pieces a little, then add the mango powder, mix thoroughly and present hot with flatbreads or naan.