Soak rice in water for at least 30 minutes.
Soak 5-6 saffron strands in a bit of nut milk.
Boil rice in plenty of water with bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cloves, and black cardamom. Add salt when it starts to boil. Boil until it is about 3/4 cooked, so about 10 minutes.
In a large saucepan, cook onions in 3 tbsp avocado oil (may sound like a lot but it's important to have this much!) until translucent, about 4-5 minutes.
In a separate pan, saute mushrooms until almost cooked and saute tofu until crisp.
Add ginger-garlic paste and cook for 2 minutes.
Add tomatoes. Cover for 4-5 minutes until mushy.
Add all spices: coriander, cumin, turmeric, garam masala, red chili powder. Combine for 2 minutes.
Add butternut squash and yogurt. Cover and wait 5 minutes. Then add sautéed mushrooms and tofu and cover. Cook for 10 more minutes, until squash is cooked.
Take out half of what’s in the pan and put it in a separate bowl. Add half of the rice and saffron. Add what you removed from the pan. Add the rest of the rice and saffron. Cover and cook for 10 more minutes.
Combine the layers well. Garnish with fried onions, toasted cashews, and a ton of cilantro or mint!
