About this dish
Ghapama is a traditional Armenian stuffed pumpkin dish, filled with cooked rice, dried fruits, nuts, and honey, then baked whole until tender. It is a festive and visually striking dish, closely associated with celebrations and the holiday season in Armenian culture.
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Ingredients
🎃1 small to medium pumpkin (about 3–4 kg), top cut off and seeds removed
🍚1 cup short-grain or medium-grain rice, parboiled
🍯3–4 tablespoons honey
🧈3 tablespoons butter, melted
🍎1 apple, peeled and diced
🍑½ cup dried apricots, roughly chopped
🫐½ cup raisins or dried cranberries
🌰½ cup walnuts or almonds, roughly chopped
🍒½ cup dried sour cherries or prunes, pitted and chopped
🫙1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
🌿Pinch of ground cardamom (optional)
🧂Pinch of salt
Method
Serves 21
Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Carefully cut off the top of the pumpkin to create a lid, and scoop out all the seeds and stringy fibres from the cavity, leaving the flesh intact.2
Parboil the rice in lightly salted water for about 8–10 minutes until partially cooked but still firm. Drain well and transfer to a large mixing bowl.3
Add the chopped dried fruits (apricots, raisins, cherries or prunes), diced apple, and nuts to the rice. Pour in the melted butter and honey, then add the cinnamon and cardamom if using. Mix everything together thoroughly.4
Season the inside of the pumpkin cavity lightly with salt, then spoon the rice and fruit mixture into the pumpkin, packing it gently but not too tightly, as the rice will expand during baking. Replace the pumpkin lid.5
Place the stuffed pumpkin in a deep oven-proof dish or on a lined baking tray. Brush the outside of the pumpkin lightly with a little butter or oil to help it colour and soften evenly.6
Bake in the preheated oven for 1.5 to 2 hours, or until the pumpkin flesh is completely tender when pierced with a skewer and the skin has darkened. Cooking time will vary depending on the size and variety of the pumpkin.7
Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 10–15 minutes before carefully transferring to a serving platter. Bring the whole pumpkin to the table for presentation, then slice into wedges, ensuring each portion includes pumpkin flesh and a serving of the fragrant rice filling.✓ What Makes it Authentic
Ghapama is most commonly prepared for New Year and Christmas celebrations in Armenia, as well as for weddings and other festive gatherings. It holds a beloved place in Armenian culinary tradition and is even celebrated in a well-known folk song. The dish is associated with abundance and communal festivity, and variations in the fruit and nut filling are common across different families and regions.
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