Biryani and Chunky Chilli Pumpkin: Delicious Indian-Style Squash Recipes

This marks squash season and most anticipated season, especially for all the curries 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 loaded with aromatic spices, long-grain rice and clarified butter, which provide so much more taste to the strata of rice and produce.

Mushroom and Squash Biryani

National curry week begins around early October, so what better way to mark the occasion than with a flavorful, warming, single-pot biryani? If you like, prepare the vegetable curry component ahead of time and layer everything on the day you want to serve.

Prep 20 min
Cook 2 hr
Serves 4

For the squash and mushroom gravy
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, to taste
2 tbsp chopped coriander, to garnish

For the rice
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. Heat the ghee in a sizable, heavy-based saucepan on a medium heat, add the cumin, bay and cloves, and fry for a brief moment. Stir in the sliced onion 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 (you'll use them later during the layering).

Introduce the green chillies and ginger 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 short while. Turn down to a low heat, blend in the yoghurt and cook for two minutes.

Add the pumpkin pieces and mushroom halves, toss to cover in the spices, then fry for three minutes. Pour in the stock or water, and season to taste. Heat until boiling, then turn down the heat, place lid and cook gently for 18-20 minutes, stirring once halfway to ensure nothing's stuck to the base of the pot. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro, then take off the stove.

Preheat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Rinse the basmati, then put it in a pot with a quart of water and the bay leaves, cardamom and seasoning. Bring to a boil, cook for 10-12 minutes, until partially cooked, then drain.

For assembling the layered dish, place a spoonful of melted ghee in a casserole pot for which you have a tight-fitting lid. Spoon half the vegetable curry, then top that with some the cooked grains. Sprinkle a portion the saffron water, ginger, mint, cardamom powder and spice blend, then add the caramelized onions. Top with the rest of vegetable curry, then spoon on the remaining rice. Finish with the rest of ghee, saffron water, ginger, mint, cardamom powder and spice mix.

Seal with baking paper, cover with the lid, then cook on the middle shelf of the oven for about fifteen minutes, so all the flavours soak into the grains. Take out of the oven, leave to rest, keeping covered, for 10 minutes, then remove the cover and serve with yogurt sauce and salad.

Rajasthani Achari Kaddu (Pumpkin with Spice Blend Stir-Fry)

The Hindi term "pickling style" describes flavouring a dish using preserving spices, and the combination includes mustard seeds, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, asafoetida and nigella, but they're not used only in pickles. The blend also appears in various types of spiced dishes and sautéed preparations, like this recipe.

Preparation 10 min
Cook 30 min
Serves 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, cubed
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

Put the mustard, fenugreek and fennel in a spice grinder, roughly grind, then reserve. Heat the oil in a large frying pan or Indian wok on a medium heat. Add the ground spices and the asafoetida, and fry, stirring, for a few seconds. Mix in the ginger, fry for a minute, then stir in the squash, chili powder and turmeric, and fry, tossing, for several additional minutes.

Add 50ml water to the pot, season with salt to taste and heat until bubbling. Place lid, reduce the flame, and simmer for about twenty minutes, mixing midway through. Add the jaggery, crushing some of the pieces a little, then incorporate the dried mango, mix thoroughly and serve warm with chapatis or leavened bread.