🔗 Share this article

It's pumpkin season and most anticipated season, especially for all the curries and other hearty meals of autumn. This Rajasthani stir-fry is a regular in my kitchen, and the blend of fresh ginger, chilli and palm sugar lends it a lovely balance of flavour. The biryani, on the other hand, is loaded with aromatic spices, long-grain rice and clarified butter, which give enhanced taste to the layers of grains and vegetables.

Mushroom and Squash Biryani

National curry week starts on October 6, so what better way to mark the occasion than with a flavorful, warming, single-pot biryani? For convenience, make the spiced vegetable mixture element ahead of time and layer everything on the occasion you want to serve.

Preparation 20 min
Cook 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, 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, as needed
2 tbsp chopped coriander, for serving

Rice preparation
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, 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. Heat the ghee in a sizable, thick-bottomed pot on a medium heat, incorporate the cumin, bay leaves and clove spices, and fry for a few seconds. Add the sliced onion and cook, stirring often, for about half an hour, until softened. Once onions begin caramelizing, transfer half of them to a plate and reserve (for later use during the layering).

Add the green chillies and ginger strips to the remaining onions, cook for a brief period, then mix in the tomato puree, chilli powder, turmeric and coriander powder, and fry for a minute. Reduce to a low heat, blend in the yoghurt and cook for a couple of minutes.

Add the squash 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, place lid and simmer for 18-20 minutes, mixing midway to ensure nothing's stuck to the base of the pan. Garnish with fresh cilantro, then remove from the stove.

Preheat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Rinse the basmati, then place it in a pot with a litre of water and the bay, cardamom and seasoning. Bring to a boil, cook for around ten minutes, until three-quarters cooked, then strain.

To build the layered dish, place a spoonful of warmed ghee in a oven-safe dish for which you have a secure cover. Ladle in half the spiced vegetables, then top that with half the rice. Add a portion the saffron infusion, ginger strips, mint, cardamom powder and garam masala, then add the reserved fried onions. Top with the rest of vegetable curry, then spoon on the leftover rice. Finish with the rest of ghee, saffron water, ginger, mint, cardamom powder and spice mix.

Seal with parchment, cover with the lid, then cook on the center rack of the oven for about fifteen minutes, so the aromas infuse the rice. Remove of the heat, leave to rest, still covered, for 10 minutes, then remove the lid and present with raita and salad.

Rajasthani Achari Kaddu (Squash with Pickling Spices Sauté)

The Hindi term "pickling style" refers to flavouring a dish using pickling spices, and the combination includes mustard, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds, cumin, asafoetida and nigella, but their use extends beyond in pickles. This mixture also appears in various types of curries and sautéed preparations, like this recipe.

Prep 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 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, fenugreek and fennel in a mortar, roughly grind, then reserve. Put the cooking oil in a large frying pan or Indian wok on a medium heat. Introduce the ground spices and the asafoetida, and fry, stirring, for a few seconds. Mix in the ginger, fry for a minute, then add the pumpkin pieces, chilli and turmeric, and sauté, stirring, for five minutes more.

Add 50ml water to the pan, season with seasoning to taste and heat until bubbling. Place lid, reduce the flame, and leave to cook for 20 minutes, stirring once halfway. Add the palm sugar, breaking up chunks a little, then add the dried mango, stir well and serve warm with flatbreads or naan.