Armenian Ghapama
A whole pumpkin filled with rice, dried fruit, nuts, and honey, then baked until tender. Serves 4.
This festive ghapama combines the sweetness of fruit and honey with rice and nuts inside a roasted pumpkin. Hands-on preparation time is approximate; the pumpkin is ready when its flesh is tender.
Ingredient allergens
Allergen listThere are no verified associations for these ingredients yet.
Method
- 01
Prepare the pumpkin
Wash and dry the pumpkin. Cut off the top to make a lid; remove the seeds and fibrous strands from inside, then dry the cavity.
Ready to continue when: The cavity is clean, and the lid can be put back in place.
10 min - 02
Partially cook the rice
Bring 3 cups of water to a boil, add the rice, cover, and cook over low heat for about 15 minutes. Drain any excess water; the rice should not be fully cooked.
Ready to continue when: The rice is partly cooked and still has some firmness.
15 min - 03
Mix the filling
Mix the partly cooked rice with the melted butter, dried plums, dried apricots, dried cherries, raisins, cinnamon, honey, chopped nuts, and salt.
Ready to continue when: The fruit, nuts, and seasonings are evenly distributed through the rice.
10 min - 04
Fill and bake
Heat the oven to 163 °C. Fill the pumpkin without packing the mixture too tightly and pour 1/4 cup of hot water over the filling. Replace the lid and set the pumpkin on a baking sheet. Bake for 90–120 minutes, until the flesh is tender.
Temperature: 163 °C / 325.4 °FReady to continue when: A toothpick goes into the flesh easily, and the pumpkin is tender.
120 min - 05
Rest and serve
Let the pumpkin rest for 10 minutes. Cut it into portions and serve each with some filling and flesh.
Ready to continue when: The pumpkin can be cut into portions without the filling falling apart.
10 min
Ingredients
Sources and review
Content researched, cross-checked and automatically validated. Sources consulted:
- Higiene de los alimentos www.aesan.gob.es/seguridad-alimentaria/higiene-alimentos
- La Seguridad Alimentaria www.aesan.gob.es/dam/jcr:d4d7784a-9ca8-46d6-be84-25d7b5dedae6/seguridad_edu_secundaria.pdf
- Armenian cuisine - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armenian_cuisine
- Pontic Greek cuisine: the most common foods, ingredients, and dishes presented in cookbooks and folklore literature | OpenAlex openalex.org/W4206171805
- Armenian Cuisine: 8 Traditional Dishes To Help You Discover Armenian Food | finedininglovers.com www.finedininglovers.co.uk/explore/articles/armenian-cuisine-8-traditional-dishes-help-you-d…
- Armenian food: 22 essential dishes to try | armenia-spirit.com www.armenia-spirit.com/guides/armenian-food-essential-dishes/
- Mortero (utensilio) - Wikipedia, la enciclopedia libre es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mortero_(utensilio)
- Armenian Food: Dishes, Drinks and Where to Eat www.shantitravel.com/en/guide-travel-armenia/armenian-food
- - YouTube www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJilAmcwksM
- International Cooking: Food from Armenia - The Flavor Vortex www.google.com/goto?url=CAESgwEB6zswFdd3fMdMHtWWnta_HtzIzXUnejwTc_04vW-A3Ts2PmBpEBAj-IEVxIre…
- 8 platos tradicionales de la cocina armenia | Recetas.com www.recetas.com/reportajes/8-platos-tradicionales-de-la-cocina-armenia.html
- - YouTube www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aqzgeNdo1s
- Ghapama – Stuffed, baked Pumpkin, Kef-style with a song – The Armenian Kitchen thearmeniankitchen.com/ghapama-stuffed-baked-pumpkin-recipe/
- Ghapama - Armenian Stuffed Pumpkin — Dining in Diaspora www.diningindiaspora.com/food/2017/10/23/ghapama
- Recetas del mundo (Armenia): Ghapama www.expogourmetmagazine.com/es/receta/30005/recetas-del-mundo-armenia-ghapama
State: Published after documentary validation; no “Tested” label is shown.