It's pumpkin season and my favourite time of the year, not least for all the spiced dishes and other hearty meals of fall. This Rajasthani stir-fry is one I cook often, and the blend of ginger, chili and palm sugar lends it a lovely flavor harmony. The biryani, meanwhile, is packed with aromatic spices, basmati and ghee, which give so much more flavour to the layers of grains and vegetables.
Squash and Mushroom Biryani
National curry week begins around early October, so how perfect to mark the occasion than with a rich, warming, single-pot layered rice dish? If you like, prepare the vegetable curry element ahead of time and assemble all components on the occasion you want to serve.
Preparation 20 min
Cook 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 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 water
Salt, as needed
2 tbsp chopped coriander, to garnish
For the rice
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, julienned
3 tbsp finely chopped fresh mint leaves
1 tsp ground cardamom powder
1 tsp garam masala
Raita and salad, to serve
Begin by preparing the curry base. Melt the clarified butter in a sizable, heavy-based saucepan on a moderate flame, add the cumin seeds, bay leaves and clove spices, and fry for a few seconds. Stir in the sliced onion and cook, stirring often, for 30-35 minutes, until softened. Once onions begin caramelizing, transfer half of them to a plate and set aside (you'll use them later during the layering).
Add the green chillies and ginger strips to the onions in pan, fry for a brief period, then stir in the tomato paste, chili powder, turmeric powder and coriander, and fry for a short while. Turn down to a gentle flame, stir in the yogurt and cook for two minutes.
Mix in the pumpkin pieces and mushroom halves, toss to cover in the spices, then fry for three minutes. Add the liquid, and season to taste. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover and cook gently for about twenty minutes, mixing midway to ensure no sticking to the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro, then remove from the heat.
Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Wash the rice, then put it in a saucepan with a litre of water and the bay leaves, cardamom pods and seasoning. Bring to a boil, simmer for 10-12 minutes, until three-quarters cooked, then drain.
For assembling the layered dish, place a tablespoon of melted ghee in a casserole pot for which you have a tight-fitting lid. Spoon one portion the spiced vegetables, then layer with some the rice. Sprinkle a portion the saffron water, ginger, mint, ground cardamom and garam masala, then add the caramelized onions. Layer with the remaining vegetable curry, then arrange the leftover grains. Top with the remaining clarified butter, saffron water, ginger, mint, cardamom powder and garam masala.
Seal with parchment, place lid securely, then cook on the middle shelf of the oven for about fifteen minutes, so all the flavours infuse the rice. Take out of the oven, leave to rest, still covered, for several minutes, then lift off the cover and present with raita and salad.
Rajasthani Achari Kaddu (Pumpkin with Pickling Spices Stir-Fry)
The Indian word "achari" describes seasoning a preparation using pickling spices, and the mix includes mustard, fennel seeds, fenugreek, cumin seeds, hing and kalonji, but they're not used only in preserved foods. This mixture also features in all manner of spiced dishes and stir-fries, like this recipe.
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 pumpkin, cubed
1 tsp mild chilli powder
½ tsp ground turmeric
Salt, to taste
1 tbsp jaggery, or dark brown sugar
2 tsp dried mango powder
Put the mustard seeds, fenugreek and fennel seeds in a spice grinder, crush coarsely, then reserve. Put the oil in a large frying pan 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 minute, then add the squash, chilli and turmeric, and sauté, stirring, for several additional minutes.
Add a small amount liquid to the pan, season with salt to taste and heat until bubbling. Cover, reduce the heat, and leave to cook for 20 minutes, stirring once halfway. Add the palm sugar, crushing some of the pieces a bit, then incorporate the mango powder, stir well and serve warm with chapatis or leavened bread.
