Aromatic Rice Dish and Thick-Cut Spicy Pumpkin: Flavorful Indian-Style Squash Recipes

It's squash season and most anticipated time of the year, not least for all the spiced dishes and other hearty meals of fall. Today's Rajasthani stir-fry is a regular in my kitchen, and the blend of fresh ginger, chili and palm sugar gives it a wonderful flavor harmony. The biryani, on the other hand, is loaded with whole spices, basmati and clarified butter, which give enhanced flavour to the strata of grains and vegetables.

Squash and Mushroom Biryani

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

Preparation 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, peeled and 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, for serving

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, 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 large, thick-bottomed pot on a medium heat, incorporate the cumin, bay and cloves, and fry for a brief moment. Add the onion slices and sauté, frequently turning, for 30-35 minutes, until softened. Once onions begin caramelizing, transfer half of them to a plate and reserve (for later use during the layering).

Add the fresh chilies and ginger to the onions in pan, cook for a brief period, then mix in the tomato paste, chili powder, turmeric and coriander, and fry for a short while. Turn down to a low heat, blend in the yoghurt and simmer for two minutes.

Add the pumpkin pieces and mushrooms, stir to coat in the spices, then fry for several minutes. Pour in the liquid, and add salt to taste. Heat until boiling, then turn down the heat, cover and cook gently for 18-20 minutes, stirring once halfway to ensure no sticking to the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro, then take off the heat.

Heat the oven to moderately hot temperature. Rinse the basmati, then place it in a pot with a litre of water and the bay, cardamom pods and salt. Bring to a boil, cook for 10-12 minutes, until three-quarters cooked, then strain.

To build the biryani, put a spoonful of warmed ghee in a casserole pot for which you have a secure cover. Ladle in one portion the spiced vegetables, then top that with half the rice. Add half the saffron infusion, ginger, mint leaves, cardamom powder and garam masala, then add the caramelized onions. Layer with the rest of vegetable curry, then arrange the leftover rice. Finish with the remaining clarified butter, saffron water, ginger, mint, ground cardamom and garam masala.

Cover with parchment, cover with the lid, then cook on the middle shelf of the oven for about fifteen minutes, so the aromas soak into the grains. Take out of the heat, allow to stand, keeping covered, for 10 minutes, then lift off the lid and serve with raita and fresh salad.

Traditional Indian Achari Kaddu (Pumpkin with Spice Blend Sauté)

The Hindi term "pickling style" refers to seasoning a preparation using pickling spices, and the mix includes mustard seeds, fennel, fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, asafoetida and kalonji, but they're not used only in preserved foods. This mixture also appears in various types of curries and stir-fries, such as this one.

Prep 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, minced
750g squash flesh, or 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 seeds and fennel seeds in a mortar, crush coarsely, then reserve. Put the cooking oil in a spacious skillet or kadhai on a moderate flame. Introduce the crushed spices and the hing, and sauté, stirring, for a few seconds. Mix in the chopped ginger, fry for a minute, then add the pumpkin pieces, chilli and turmeric, and sauté, stirring, for five minutes more.

Add a small amount liquid to the pan, salt with seasoning to taste and heat until bubbling. Cover, reduce the flame, and simmer for about twenty minutes, stirring once halfway. Add the jaggery, crushing some of the pieces a bit, then incorporate the dried mango, stir well and present hot with flatbreads or leavened bread.