Ghapama!

By: Vika Ter-Nikoghosyan

Hey Jan Ghapama! We all know and love the song! As we get ready to celebrate the holidays, preparing and serving Ghapama as described and shown below is fantastic!   I wanted to share this beloved family recipe, from my kitchen to yours,I hope you will enjoy it with your loved ones. 

Ghapama, Stuffed sweet pumpkin recipe

4-person servings

Pumpkins

2 small (3 “ diameter) pumpkins with preferably hard skin

Cut the top of pumpkins and empty from seeds

Stuffing

1. Rice: Cook 1/4 cup rice until it is ready with pinch of salt (or none) and half of a tea spoon of olive oil or butter
2. Nuts, raisins and dates

Add to the ready rice

2 Tbsp. of raw crashed to their approximately 1/4^th pieces cashew

1 Tbsp. of raw crashed to their approximately 1/4^th pieces walnuts

1 Tbsp. of raw crashed to their approximately 1/4^th pieces pecans

1 Tbsp. of raw crashed to their approximately 1/4^th pieces almonds

1 Tbsp. of raw pine nuts

2 Tbsp. of raisins

3 jumbo dates cut into small pieces

You can have bigger or whole pieces of nuts if you prefer. In that case have almonds to stay in water at least two hours.

3. Spices

Add to the rice and nuts the following spices

10 gloves grinded (approximately 0.5 tsp.)

1 of 2” cinnamon stick grinded (approximately 1 tsp.)

15 cardamoms (without shells) grinded (approximately 0.5 tsp.)

1/4 of nutmeg grinded (approximately 0.5 tsp.)

You can use coffee grinder or magic bullet to grind spices. Or you can buy spices in a shop already grinded but fresh.

4. Honey or Maple syrup

Add to the mixture 4 Tbsp. honey or 3 Tbsp. maple syrup

Again mix everything well and then sauté in the same pan for 5 min on a low heat and then stuff the mixture into two pumpkins.

Baking

Cover stuffed pumpkins with their cut tops, place on a baking sheet and bake for 45 min in the oven preheated to 350 F

Cut every pumpkin into two-three pieces and you will have ready pieces for dessert.