Place the garlic and chickpeas in the food processor and pulse a few times. Add the tahini, sesame oil, lemon juice, olive oil, cumin, and salt and pepper. Puree and with the motor running add about ⅓ cup of the water. Allow the mixture to process for about two minutes (see recipe intro), adding more water if you’d like a thinner consistency.
Transfer to a serving bowl, drizzle with a bit of olive oil if you like, and sprinkle with the paprika or cayenne.
Notes
Hummus will last for 1 week in a container in the fridge.
Add a nice amount of water. Including water in addition to olive oil lets you get to a fluffy, soft, creamy texture, without an unconscionable amount of oil. Having the water be slightly warm means that the pureed chickpeas will get even creamier, though cool water is also fine. You can refrigerate the hummus if you want to serve it cool.
If you want a looser texture, add more water and olive oil, and make sure it is served right away, or allowed to come to room temperature before serving. It will thicken up and get a stiffer texture in the fridge, which you may prefer.
Don’t just process the mixture until it is blended — let that machine go for 2 or 3 minutes at full throttle for the creamiest texture. Furthermore, the heat from the motor starts to warm the hummus a bit, so while you can certainly make it ahead, there is something about fresh, slightly warm hummus that is just fantastic.