Falafel they are not cooked prior to use (cooking the chickpeas will cause the falafel to fall apart, requiring adding some flour to use as a binder). Instead they are soaked (sometimes with baking soda) overnight, then ground together with various ingredients such as parsley, scallions, and garlic. Spices such as cumin and coriander are often added to the beans for added flavor. The dried fava beans are soaked in water and then stone ground with leek, parsley, green coriander, cumin and dry coriander. The mixture is shaped into balls or patties. This can be done by hand or with a
Gremolata Gremolata Gremolata or gremolada ( or ) is a chopped herb condiment classically made of lemon zest, garlic, and parsley. It is a traditional accompaniment to the Milanese braised veal shank dish "ossobuco alla milanese". Gremolata is also used as a garnish. "Gremolata" usually includes grated lemon peel, although the zest from other citrus fruits (lime, orange, grapefruit, etc.) may be used. There are also other variations, such as leaving out the herbs (parsley, cilantro/coriander, mint, sage) or the feature (garlic, finely grated fresh horseradish, minced shallot) or adding another item (Pecorino Romano cheese, anchovy, toasted pine nuts, grated bottarga).