When ready to cook, drain the chickpeas and place them in a large saucepan. Cover with 700 ml / 1 pint 4 fl oz of water, bring to the boil and simmer the chickpeas gently for 35-45 minutes, until they are well cooked.

If using canned chickpeas, rinse them and cook in a small amount of water for about 15 minutes then drain and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan. When hot, add the red chilli, mustard seeds and urad dal. As the mustard seeds begin popping, add the cooked chickpeas, coconut, green chilli and a little salt. Mix thoroughly, remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Serve hot or cold.