Ghapama
A traditional Armenian holiday dish, Ghapama is a stuffed pumpkin filled with rice, cherries, cranberries, dried dates, golden raisins, toasted pecans, toasted walnuts and cinnamon spice, baked whole with the top on.
Allergens: Nuts (pecans, walnuts), Dairy (butter)
GHAPAMA INGREDIENTS:
| 10 each | Sugar pumpkin, fresh, whole |
|---|---|
| 10 cups | Rice, medium grain, dry |
| 15 cups | Water |
| 5 cups | Butter, unsalted, melted, divided |
| 5 cups | Frozen DOLE® Red Tart Cherries |
| 5 cups | Frozen DOLE Whole Cranberries |
| 2½ cups | Dates, dried, pitted, chopped |
| 2½ cups | Golden raisins |
| 2½ cups | Pecans, toasted, chopped |
| 2½ cups | Walnuts, toasted, chopped |
| ½ cup | Cinnamon, ground |
| 2½ cups | Honey |
GHAPAMA DIRECTIONS:
- Cap and deseed pumpkin by scraping out inside with a spoon, save cap.
- Add water and rice into a pot and bring to a boil. Cover and then reduce to a simmer.
- Cook rice until it is half way cooked, about 6-8 minutes.
- Drain excess water from rice; cover and set aside.
- Using half of melted butter (2 ½ cups), brush inside and outside surfaces of each pumpkin.
- Add remaining 2 ½ cups melted butter to rice, stir to combine.
- In a large bowl, combine all remaining ingredients; stir until well combined.
- Stuff mixture into pumpkins and top each with its cap. Wrap in foil and roast in oven at 350° F for 4 hours, or until the rice is tender and the pumpkin is soft.
TO SERVE:
- Place on platter and slice the pumpkin with a knife in eighths.
Yield: 10 portions
