🔗 Share this article

This marks squash season and most anticipated season, especially for all the spiced dishes and other hearty meals of fall. This Northwest Indian stir-fry is a regular in my kitchen, and the combination of fresh ginger, chili and palm sugar gives it a wonderful balance of flavour. The biryani, meanwhile, is packed with whole spices, basmati and clarified butter, which give enhanced taste to the strata of grains and vegetables.

Mushroom and Squash Biryani

A celebration of curry dishes starts on early October, so what better way to celebrate than with a flavorful, warming, all-in-one-pot layered rice dish? If you like, prepare the spiced vegetable mixture component in advance and assemble all components on the day you want to serve.

Preparation 20 min
Cooking 2 hr
Yields 4

For the vegetable curry base
4 tbsp ghee, or 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, 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, cut into bite-sized pieces
300g button mushrooms, cleaned and halved
400ml vegetable stock, or use 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, 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

Begin by preparing the gravy. Melt the clarified butter in a large, heavy-based saucepan on a moderate flame, add the cumin seeds, bay leaves and clove spices, and sauté for a brief moment. Stir in the onion slices and sauté, frequently turning, for about half an hour, until tender. When the onions start to brown, transfer half of them to a plate and reserve (for later use during the layering).

Add the fresh chilies and ginger strips to the onions in pan, fry for a brief period, then stir in the tomato puree, chili powder, turmeric and coriander powder, and fry for a minute. Reduce to a low heat, blend in the yogurt and simmer for a couple of minutes.

Add the squash and mushroom halves, stir to coat in the spice mixture, then fry for several minutes. Add the liquid, and season to taste. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat, cover and cook gently for about twenty minutes, stirring once halfway to ensure no sticking to the bottom of the pan. Garnish with fresh cilantro, then remove from the stove.

Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Rinse the rice, then place it in a pot with a litre of water and the bay, cardamom and seasoning. Heat to boiling, 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 top that with some the rice. Sprinkle a portion the saffron infusion, ginger, mint, ground cardamom and spice blend, then add the caramelized onions. Top with the remaining curry mixture, then spoon on the leftover rice. Top with the remaining ghee, saffron liquid, ginger, mint, cardamom powder and garam masala.

Seal with parchment, cover with the lid, then bake on the center rack of the oven for about fifteen minutes, so all the flavours infuse the grains. Take out of the oven, allow to stand, keeping covered, for 10 minutes, then remove the lid and serve with yogurt sauce and salad.

Traditional Indian Achari Kaddu (Pumpkin with Spice Blend Sauté)

The Hindi term "achari" refers to seasoning a dish using preserving spices, and the mix contains mustard, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, asafoetida and kalonji, but they're not used only in pickles. The blend also appears in various types of curries and sautéed preparations, such as this one.

Preparation 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 use pumpkin, cubed
1 tsp mild chilli powder
½ tsp ground turmeric
Salt, to taste
1 tbsp jaggery, or substitute with brown sugar
2 tsp dried mango powder

Place the mustard, fenugreek and fennel in a spice grinder, roughly grind, then reserve. Heat the oil in a spacious skillet or kadhai on a moderate flame. Add the crushed spices and the asafoetida, and sauté, mixing, for a few seconds. Mix in the chopped ginger, cook for a short while, then add the squash, chilli and turmeric, and fry, stirring, for five minutes more.

Pour 50ml water to the pan, season with salt to taste and heat until bubbling. Cover, turn down the heat, and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring once halfway. Add the jaggery, breaking up chunks a bit, then add the mango powder, mix thoroughly and serve warm with chapatis or leavened bread.