Ghapama (Armenian Stuffed Pumpkin with Rice and Dried Fruit)
Local name: Ղափամա
In short: A whole pumpkin stuffed with rice, dried apricots, raisins, walnuts, butter and honey, baked until the flesh turns soft and sweet. It takes about 2 h 10 min in total and makes 6 servings.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 1 h 40 min
- Total
- 2 h 10 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 405 kcal
Ghapama is the stuffed pumpkin that Armenian families bake for New Year and Christmas. A whole pumpkin is hollowed out, filled with rice, dried fruit, nuts, butter and honey, and baked until the rice is tender and the pumpkin flesh turns soft and sweet. It is brought to the table whole, and the lid is lifted for everyone to see. The cook then spoons rice and pumpkin together. It is a showpiece that is easy to make.
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Cut a lid from the top of the pumpkin and scoop out the seeds and stringy fibers. Rub the inside with a pinch of salt and 1 tablespoon of the butter.
- Boil the rice in plenty of water for 8 minutes, until about half cooked. Drain well.
- Mix the rice with the remaining butter, apricots, raisins, walnuts, half the honey, cinnamon and 1/2 tsp salt.
- Fill the pumpkin about three quarters full, because the rice swells. Pour in the hot water, drizzle the remaining honey on top and put the lid back on.
- Set the pumpkin in a baking dish and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, until a skewer slides easily through the flesh and the rice is fully tender.
- Bring the pumpkin to the table whole, lift off the lid and spoon out the rice with some of the soft pumpkin flesh. Serve warm.
Tips
- Choose a pumpkin with a flat base and a firm, thick rind so it holds its shape. A sugar pumpkin or kabocha squash works well.
- Do not overfill, since the rice swells. Fill it three quarters full and add the hot water so the rice finishes cooking.
Questions and answers
Can I make ghapama ahead of time?
Prepare the filling a day ahead and keep it refrigerated. Fill and bake the pumpkin on the day you serve it.
Can I make ghapama vegan?
Yes. Use sunflower oil instead of butter, and maple syrup or sugar instead of honey.
Which pumpkin works best?
A round sugar pumpkin or a kabocha squash of about 3 kg (6.5 lb). Avoid carving pumpkins, which are watery and stringy.
How long does it take to make Ghapama (Armenian Stuffed Pumpkin with Rice and Dried Fruit)?
About 2 h 10 min in total: 30 min of preparation and 1 h 40 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Ghapama (Armenian Stuffed Pumpkin with Rice and Dried Fruit)?
About 405 kcal per serving, with 6 g of protein, 59 g of carbohydrates and 17 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 405 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 6 g |
| Carbohydrates | 59 g |
| Fat | 17 g |
| Fiber | 6 g |
| Sugar | 33 g |
| Sodium | 180 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
