🔗 Share this article

It's squash season and my favourite time of the year, especially for all the spiced dishes and other comfort food of fall. This Northwest Indian sautéed dish is a regular in my kitchen, and the blend of ginger, chilli and jaggery lends it a wonderful flavor harmony. The biryani, on the other hand, is loaded with whole spices, long-grain rice and clarified butter, which give enhanced taste to the strata of grains and produce.

Squash and Mushroom Biryani

National curry week begins around early October, so what better way to celebrate than with a rich, comforting, single-pot biryani? For convenience, prepare the spiced vegetable mixture component ahead of time and layer all components on the occasion you plan to eat.

Prep 20 min
Cook 2 hr
Yields 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, slit open lengthways
5cm piece fresh ginger, julienned
2 tbsp tomato puree
¼ tsp mild chilli powder, or kashmiri chilli powder
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, trimmed and sliced
400ml vegetable stock, or use water
Salt, to taste
2 tbsp chopped coriander, for serving

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, steeped in warm water
1¼cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into matchsticks
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 medium heat, incorporate the cumin, bay and clove spices, and fry for a brief moment. Stir in the sliced onion and sauté, stirring often, for about half an hour, until softened. Once onions begin caramelizing, remove half to a plate and reserve (for later use during the assembly).

Add the fresh chilies and ginger strips to the onions in pan, cook for a minute, then mix in the tomato paste, chili powder, turmeric and coriander, and fry for a minute. Reduce to a low heat, stir in the yoghurt and cook for a couple of minutes.

Mix in the squash and mushrooms, toss to cover in the spice mixture, then fry for three minutes. Pour in the liquid, and season to taste. Bring to a boil, then lower the temperature, cover and simmer for about twenty minutes, mixing midway to make sure nothing's stuck to the base of the pan. Sprinkle with coriander, then remove from the heat.

Heat the oven to moderately hot temperature. Wash the rice, then put it in a pot with a litre of water and the bay, cardamom and seasoning. Heat to boiling, simmer for 10-12 minutes, until three-quarters cooked, then drain.

For assembling the biryani, place a spoonful of warmed ghee in a oven-safe dish for which you have a secure cover. Spoon one portion the vegetable curry, then top that with some the rice. Add a portion the saffron infusion, ginger, mint, cardamom powder and garam masala, then top with the caramelized onions. Layer with the rest of vegetable curry, then arrange the leftover rice. Finish with the rest of ghee, saffron liquid, ginger, mint, ground cardamom and spice mix.

Seal with parchment, place lid securely, 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, leave to rest, keeping covered, for 10 minutes, then lift off the cover and present with raita and fresh salad.

Traditional Indian Achari Kaddu (Pumpkin with Spice Blend Sauté)

The Indian word "pickling style" refers to seasoning a dish using pickling spices, and the mix includes mustard seeds, fennel, fenugreek seeds, cumin, asafoetida and nigella, but they're not used only 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
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, peeled and finely chopped
750g squash flesh, or pumpkin, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 tsp mild chilli powder
½ tsp ground turmeric
Salt, to taste
1 tbsp jaggery, or dark brown sugar
2 tsp dried mango powder

Place the mustard seeds, fenugreek and fennel seeds in a spice grinder, roughly grind, then set aside. Put the cooking oil in a large frying pan or kadhai on a moderate flame. Introduce the ground spices and the asafoetida, and fry, stirring, for a few seconds. Add the chopped ginger, fry for a minute, then add the pumpkin pieces, chilli and turmeric, and fry, stirring, for several additional minutes.

Pour a small amount water to the pot, salt with seasoning to taste and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the flame, and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring once halfway. Mix in the jaggery, breaking up chunks a little, then add the mango powder, mix thoroughly and serve warm with chapatis or leavened bread.