israeli hummus with paprika

courtesy michael solomonov

makes 4 cups

1/2 pound dried chickpeas
1 tablespoon baking soda
7 large garlic cloves, unpeeled
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 teaspoon ground cumin, plus more for garnish
1/2 cup tahini, at room temperature (see note)
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
salt
paprika, for garnish
pita bread, for serving

in a medium bowl, cover the dried chickpeas with 2 inches of water and stir in the baking soda. refrigerate the chickpeas overnight. drain the chickpeas and rinse them under cold water.

in a medium saucepan, cover the chickpeas with 2 inches of fresh water. add the garlic cloves and bring to a boil. simmer over moderately low heat until the chickpeas are tender, about 40 minutes. drain, reserving 10 tablespoons of the cooking water and 2 tablespoons of the chickpeas. rinse the chickpeas under cold water. peel the garlic cloves.

in a food processor, puree the chickpeas with 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking water, 1/2 cup of the olive oil and 6 of the garlic cloves. add the cumin along with 1/4 cup each of the tahini and lemon juice and process until creamy. season the hummus with 1 tsp salt and transfer to a serving bowl.