Ghapama
Ղափամա·(gha-pa-ma)
Grandmothers' Hands (Sunday Suppers & Weekend Projects)
In Armenia, a hollowed-out pumpkin isn't a centerpiece—it's a working-class Dutch oven steeped in centuries of survival. For first-generation kids, the smell of toasting butter, melting honey, and cinnamon meant family was gathering. The grandmothers' secret is twofold: parboil the rice so it doesn't turn into wallpaper paste, and vigorously rub the naked interior of the gourd with honey and butter before stuffing it. It’s a brilliant piece of culinary engineering that requires no Hollywood embellishments to taste exactly like home.
Ingredients
- sugar pumpkin1 med
- basmati rice1 1/2 cup
- unsalted butter8 tbsp
- honey1/3 cup
- mixed dried fruit1 cup
- raisins1/2 cup
- Granny Smith apple1 med
- mixed nuts3/4 cup
- ground cinnamon1 1/2 tsp
- kosher salt1 1/2 tsp
- hot water1/4 cup
Method
- 01
Hollow out and prepare the pumpkin vessel.
Cut a circular lid around the stem, angling your knife inward so it won't fall in later, and scrape away all the stringy pulp and seeds from the cavity.
- 02
Glaze the interior walls of the pumpkin.
Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter with 1 tablespoon of the honey and generously coat the entire inside of the empty pumpkin, finishing with a dusting of 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and a pinch of salt.
- 03
Parboil the rice to prevent a mushy filling.
Boil the rinsed basmati in generously salted water for exactly 5 to 7 minutes until partially cooked but firm, then drain immediately and rinse with cool water.
- 04
Plump the fruits and toast the nuts.
In a large skillet over medium-low heat, melt 4 tablespoons of butter and gently sauté the dried fruits, diced apple, and nuts for 4 to 5 minutes, then stir in the remaining honey, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt.
- 05
Combine the filling and stuff the pumpkin loosely.
Toss the warm, buttery fruit and nut mixture with the parboiled rice, then spoon it into the hollowed-out pumpkin without packing it down so the rice has ample room to expand.
- 06
Add steam and bake until tender.
Pour the hot water directly over the rice, dot the top with the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, and replace the lid before baking at 350°F for 1.5 to 2 hours.
- 07
Rest before slicing into wedges.
Let the pumpkin rest for 15 minutes, then bring it to the table and slice it vertically along its natural ribs so it falls open like a flower.
Notes
Weeknight Adaptation
If you don't have two hours to roast a whole pumpkin, skip the gourd entirely and make the filling on the stovetop. In Armenia, this standalone dish is called Chamichov Plav and is beloved in its own right.
From Cook Armenian in America.