The Ikaria Way Easy Chickpea-Pumpkin Patties

Baked Chickpea-Pumpkin Patties with Mint
You can prepare it with or without cheese, as you like.
Makes about 20 to 24 patties
3 cups grated raw pumpkin
Salt
2 cups cooked chickpeas (good-quality canned are fine)
1 large red onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 bunch fresh mint or dill, leaves only, finely chopped
Pepper to taste
1 large egg, slightly beaten (see Note)
½ to 1 cup plain dried bread crumbs, as needed
All-purpose flour, as needed
½ cup or more extra-virgin Greek olive oil for drizzling or brushing
⅔ cup crumbled Greek feta (optional)
½ cup grated Kefalotyri, Kefalograviera, Parmigiano, or Romano cheese (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350°F (160°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Grate the raw pumpkin on the coarse side of a hand grater or in a food processor using the grating attachment. Remove and place in a colander with a pinch of salt, kneading it and pushing it down into the colander to release as much liquid as possible. Then place the wilted, kneaded pumpkin inside a cotton or muslin tea towel or cheesecloth and wring it repeatedly to squeeze out all the liquid. Place the grated pumpkin in a mixing bowl.
Drain and rinse the cooked chickpeas. Place them on a large plate and pat them dry with a kitchen towel. Transfer them to the bowl of a food processor and pulse on and off until the chickpeas are mealy. Don’t process them so much that they become a paste. Transfer them to the mixing bowl with the pumpkin.
Add the chopped onions, garlic, mint or dill, a pinch more salt, and pepper. If using cheese, add it now. Knead the mixture slightly to combine all the ingredients. Add the beaten egg or egg substitute mentioned below and work it into the mixture. Depending on how loose or dense the mixture is, add bread crumbs and a little flour incrementally. Test the density and texture by forming a 2-inch patty in your hand; if it holds together, the mixture is ready.
Using either a small ice cream scoop or a tablespoon, scoop out equal mounds of the mixture and shape them into equal size balls, before flattening them into little patties, about 1½ to 2 inches in diameter. Place them on the lined baking sheets about a half inch apart. Repeat until the mixture is all used up.
Brush the surface of the patties with a little olive oil and bake them until golden and crisp, about 12 to 15 minutes, turning them once in the process to brown on both sides.
Remove and serve warm or at room temperature.
NOTE: You can substitute the egg with 1 tablespoon extra-virgin Greek olive whisked with 2 teaspoons of baking powder and 2 teaspoons of water.
You can also pan-fry these in olive oil. To do so, season about 2 cups of all-purpose flour with salt and pepper and spread it onto a plate. Heat about a half inch of olive oil in a wide skillet and lightly dredge the patties, a few at a time, in the flour, shaking off the excess. Slide them into the hot oil a few at a time, using a spatula, and let them sizzle and fry for a few minutes, flipping them once to brown and crisp on both sides. Remove and drain on paper towels, then repeat with remaining patties, replenishing the olive oil as needed.