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Armenian

Ghapama

Vegetarian

Ղափամա · Ghapama

A whole pumpkin filled with buttery rice, dried apricots, raisins, prunes, walnuts, honey and cinnamon, then baked until tender. Brought to the table whole and cut into wedges for New Year and Christmas.

Ghapama is an Armenian rice dish, ready in about 2 hours 30 minutes and made with pumpkin and short-grain rice. It serves 8 and is rated intermediate to cook.

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A delicious close-up of ghapama, a traditional Armenian dish, served in a pumpkin with rice and dried fruits.
Photo: RDNE Stock project / Pexels · Pexels License
Prep
30 min
Cook
1 h 50 min
Rest
10 min
Total
2 h 30 min
Serves
8
Level
Intermediate
Calories
314

Ingredients

8 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven (opens in a new tab) to 180 °C. Cut a lid from the top of the pumpkin (opens in a new tab) and scrape out the seeds and strings.

  2. Step 2

    Parboil the rice in salted water for 7 minutes, then drain.

  3. Step 3

    Mix the rice with most of the butter (opens in a new tab), the dried fruit, walnuts (opens in a new tab), honey (opens in a new tab) and cinnamon (opens in a new tab).

    • 5 min

  4. Step 4

    Pack the filling loosely into the pumpkin (opens in a new tab), drizzle over the remaining butter (opens in a new tab) and replace the lid. Set in a baking dish (opens in a new tab) with a little water.

  5. Step 5

    Bake until a knife slides easily through the side of the pumpkin (opens in a new tab), 1½–2 hours depending on size.

  6. Step 6

    Rest 10 minutes, then cut into wedges at the table so each slice has pumpkin (opens in a new tab) and filling.

    • 10 min

About this dish

Origin
Armenia · Well documentedMore food from Armenia
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Dessert · Rice dishes · Main courses · Side dishes
Cooking method
Oven-baked, Boiled
Taste
sweet, buttery, fruity, aromatic / warmly spiced
Diet
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No gluten ingredients
All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Egg-free · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-fat · Low-sodium
Without the optional extras: No nut ingredientsWith the listed swaps: Vegan, Plant-based, Ovo-vegetarian, Dairy-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Festive & celebration
Cook more with
Pumpkin · Short-grain rice · Butter · Dried apricots · Raisins · Prunes
Techniques
Baking · Boiling

Allergens

  • Contains, can be adapted: Milkfrom butter
  • Contains, can be adapted: Tree nutsfrom walnuts
  • Contains: Sulphitesfrom dried apricots, raisins

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

314 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 318 g · recipe makes 8

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 6%
  • Carbohydrate 71%
  • Fat 23%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy314 kcal99 kcal
Protein5 g1.6 g
Carbohydrate59.5 g18.7 g
Net carbohydrate——
Sugars——
Added sugars6.2 g1.9 g
Fibre——
Fat8.6 g2.7 g
Saturated fat5.3 g1.7 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol22 mg7 mg
Sodium216 mg68 mg
Salt equivalent0.5 g0.2 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
1104 mg
Calcium
73 mg
Iron
2.7 mg
Magnesium
45 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
—
Vitamin C
23 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
0 µg
Folate (DFE)
44 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: walnuts.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Rub the outside with a little oil for a glossy skin.
  • Don't pack the rice tightly — it swells as it bakes.

Common mistakes

  • Fully cooking the rice first makes the filling mushy by the time the pumpkin is tender.

Serve with

  • Serve as a festive side with roast meats, or on its own as a sweet course.

Storage

  • Keeps 3 days in the fridge.

Reheating

  • Reheat wedges covered in a 170 °C oven.

History

Ghapama is celebrated in a well-known Armenian folk song and is traditionally made for New Year and Christmas.

Confidence: Commonly attributed

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 2, 3

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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