Wash and soak the fava beans and red lentils for 8 to 10 hours.

Place the soaked beans and lentils in a cooking vessel with plenty of water and bring to the boil.

Cover and simmer over a gentle heat for a good 6 to 8 hours, till the beans are tender and easy to mash. (you might want to skim off the foamy bits that form during the cooking process).

Once the beans are cooked through, take it off the heat and mash it well. set aside.

In a small frying pan, heat the olive oil. sautee the garlic and onion till just translucent. add cumin powder and chilly powder (as per your taste) and sautee for a bit, just till the spices smell cooked.

Pour the contents of the pan into the beans and mix well.

Place the foul in a serving dish, top it with lemon juice and a dash of olive oil. enjoy!

Note: you can skip the entire 10 hour cooking and soaking process by using canned fava beans. just drain them, bring to the boil with some water and mash. (won't taste as good as the real mc'coy, though).