Armenia

Ghapama: Armenian Stuffed Pumpkin

Here is what you will need:
1 medium-sized sugar pumpkin
1 cup rice 4 tbsp. melted butter
Raisins and dried fruits (plums and apricots would be the best)
Almonds and walnuts
3/4 tbsp. ground cinnamon
2 tbsp. honey
Pinch of salt, or to taste

Directions:
First, prepare the filling. Bring two cups of water to the boil and add the rice and a pinch of salt. Reduce to a low heat and let it cook for 10-15 minutes (don't fully cook the rice as it will continue to cook in the oven). Drain any excess water. In a big bowl, mix half-cooked rice with dried fruits, raisins, nuts, cinnamon, honey and melted butter.

Cut off the top of the pumpkin like a lid. Clean the inside of pumpkin from the seeds and fibrous material (not the most pleasant part of prep). Stuff the pumpkin with the rice mixture, keeping in mind that the rice will expand in size when cooked so don’t overfill the pumpkin with mixture.

Cover the pumpkin with the lid and bake it at 325°F for about 1-1 ½ hour. You can tell it’s ready when the pumpkin is soft.

Ghapama is traditionally cut into sections and served as an open flower. Enjoy!

Shared by Arpine Mazhinya, Fulbright Scholar from Armenia