Recipe: Armenian Ghapama (Stuffed Pumpkin)
A recipe for the sweet, stuffed pumpkin of Armenia, Ghapama.
Ghapama, a sweet stuffed pumpkin, is a holiday classic of Armenia. While many American families associate the pumpkin with Halloween and autumn harvests, this dish is more often tied to the New Year and Armenian Christmas on January 6th.
This recipe is simple and versatile; you can, for example, swap out any of the dried fruits listed for another of your choice. You can also choose to exclude the walnuts, or substitute another type of nut such as almonds.
Ingredients:
1 large pie or sugar pumpkin
1 1/2 cups rice
6 tbsp. butter
6 tbsp. honey
1/4 cup dried apricots
1/4 cup dried plums
1/4 cup dried apples
1/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1 tbsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
Instructions:
Rinse the outside of the pumpkin and pat dry.
Cut a hole around the top of the pumpkin, circling its stem, and set the top aside. Remove the inner pulp and seeds and scrape the walls clean. If needed, rinse and dry the pumpkin again.
Preheat an oven to 325 degrees.
Coat the inside of the pumpkin with 2 tbsp. honey.
Boil the rice in 3 cups water until it’s about half-done, then drain the excess liquid.
Mix together the rice, remaining honey, butter, apricots, plums, apples, raisins, walnuts, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl.
Scoop this mixture loosely into the pumpkin until mostly, but not completely, full. Replace the top and bake on a sturdy rack until the pumpkin is tender and browned, about an hour and a half. Allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.
To serve traditionally, cut the pumpkin vertically around six times and serve open, like the petals of a flower.
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