Ghapama- Stuffed, baked Pumpkin
In Armenian, the word ‘Ghapama’ literally means cooked in a covered pot. Recipe-wise, ghapama is a stuffed, baked pumpkin traditionally served between the New Year and Armenian Christmas which Armenians celebrate on January 6th.
Ingredients
- 1 pumpkin (about 3 lbs)
- 1½ cups rice
- 4 tbsp butter (melted)
- ¼ cup each of dried plums, apricots and cherries (chopped)
- ¼ cup raisins
- ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1½ tbsp honey
- ½ cup nuts (chopped)
- ¼ cup hot water
- dash of salt (or to taste)
Instructions
- Wash and dry exterior of pumpkin. Cut off the top in a circle shape as it will be used as a lid.
- Scrape out the stringy fibers and seeds. Discard fibers, but rinse and save the seeds for roasting later on, if desired. Rinse the inside of the pumpkin; pat dry.
- In a saucepan, bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Add rice, stir, cover the pot and reduce heat to low. Cook rice for about 15 minutes. Rice should not be completely cooked. Drain any excess liquid.
- In bowl, mix together the partially cooked rice, chopped, dried fruit, melted butter, salt, cinnamon, honey (or sugar), and nuts, if using.
- Loosely stuff filling into pumpkin; pour the ¼ cup hot water over the top of the filling.
- Place the pumpkin on a baking sheet for support. Put the top of the pumpkin back on and bake at 325°F for about 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until soft. Insert a toothpick into the pumpkin to determine tenderness.
- Cut into wedges; serve.
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