Peel, seed, and coarsely grate 500 g pumpkin. Toss it with 1/2 teaspoon fine salt and let it stand for 10 minutes so the salt can draw out excess moisture.

Squeeze the salted pumpkin firmly in a clean tea towel or press it through a fine sieve. Remove as much liquid as possible, since wet pumpkin makes fritters soft and encourages them to absorb oil.

Whisk the two eggs in a large bowl. Add the flour, finely grated Parmesan, baking powder, garlic, chopped parsley or chives, black pepper, and optional nutmeg, then stir until combined.

Add the squeezed pumpkin and mix until the strands are evenly coated. The mixture should be moist but thick enough to mound on a spoon; if it is loose, stir in dry breadcrumbs 1 tablespoon at a time.

Heat 3–4 tablespoons neutral oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Drop in roughly 2-tablespoon portions of batter, leaving space between them, and flatten each portion to about 1 cm thick.

Fry the fritters for 3–4 minutes per side, turning once, until deeply golden and crisp. Cook in batches without crowding the pan, adding a little more oil between batches if needed.

Transfer the cooked fritters to a wire rack or paper towels, preferably using a rack so air can circulate around the crust. Serve hot with extra Parmesan, sour cream, Greek yogurt, or garlic-herb dipping sauce.