Ghapama (Ղափամա): Armenian Stuffed Pumpkin with Sweet Rice

  • Total time - 2 hours 30 minutes
  • Preparation - 20 minutes
  • Par-cooking rice - 15 minutes
  • Baking - 1 hour 45 minutes - 2 hours
  • Servings: 4
  • Country: Armenia
A whole baked Ghapama pumpkin with its lid on, filled with sweet rice and dried fruit.

When preparing Ghapama, it is crucial to use the right type of pumpkin – a sweet variety, such as Butternut squash or Sugar Pie pumpkin, is best. The rice is only par-cooked before stuffing so that it finishes cooking inside the pumpkin, absorbing the butter, honey, and pumpkin juices.

It is traditionally served whole at the table and then cut into wedges (like a cake), with each slice containing a piece of the tender pumpkin flesh and the sweet rice filling.

Ingredients

Basic Ingredients

  • 1 piece medium pumpkin (Sugar Pie, Butternut, or another sweet winter squash), approx. 1.5 - 2 kg
  • 1.5 cups long-grain rice (Basmati or other non-sticky rice), partially cooked
  • 6 tbsp (approx. 90 g) butter, melted
  • 4 tbsp honey
  • 0.5 cup hot water or broth

Filling and Spices

  • 0.5 cup raisins
  • 0.5 cup dried apricots, chopped
  • 0.5 cup walnuts, chopped and toasted
  • 0.5 cup almonds, slivered or chopped and toasted
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp ground nutmeg (optional)
  • 0.5 tsp salt

Instructions

Step 1: Preparing the Pumpkin

Preheat the oven to 175 °C (347 °F).

Wash the pumpkin, carefully cut off the top part (a circle around the stem) – this will serve as the lid. Scoop out all the seeds and fibrous strands, leaving the walls of the pumpkin clean.

Mix two tablespoons of butter and one tablespoon of honey, and use a brush to thoroughly coat the inside of the pumpkin with this mixture. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and cinnamon.

Step 2: Preparing the Rice Filling

Rinse the rice. Boil it in salted water for 5-7 minutes, only until halfway done (al dente). The rice should be soft on the outside but still firm in the center. Drain it and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.

In a large bowl, combine half of the remaining melted butter and honey (reserve the rest for later drizzling), the par-cooked rice, raisins, chopped dried fruit, toasted nuts, cinnamon, nutmeg, and remaining salt. Mix well.

Step 3: Stuffing and Baking

Spoon the rice mixture loosely into the pumpkin. The rice will expand during baking, so do not pack the filling too tightly and leave about 2 cm of space below the rim.

Pour the hot water or broth over the top of the filling. This will help the rice steam and finish cooking.

Cover the pumpkin with its lid. Place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or foil (to catch any overflow).

Bake for 1 hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours. The pumpkin is done when its flesh is tender and can be easily pierced with a fork.

Step 4: Serving

Remove the pumpkin from the oven and let it rest for 10-15 minutes.

Serve the whole pumpkin on a large platter. To serve Ghapama traditionally, the lid is cut off and the pumpkin is vertically sliced into wedges (like a cake), with each wedge containing both a piece of baked pumpkin flesh and the sweet rice filling.

The remaining melted butter and honey can be used to drizzle over individual portions.