Hummus - A Mediterranean Dip

I came across Hummus during my sojourn in Israel. I first had it along with Pita, Felafel and veggies. First time itself i found it very tasty. Then i got hold of the recipe. 
The word hummus is arabic for chickpeas. The dish hummus is called hummus bi tahina in arabic. The name itself is very revealing - the dish is a mixture of chickpea and tahini paste. 
Hummus is generally used as dip or appetizer, and most usually along with pita and felafel. 
The place of origin of hummus is Egypt, Levant (Mediterranean lands east of Italy).

Preparation: 

• Soak the chickpeas overnight. 
• Pressure cook the chickpeas along with salt.
• Allow to cool to room temperature. 
• Drain the chickpeas. Don't throw away the water.
• Lightly roast and grind the sesame seeds. 
• Now add all the other ingredients except the olive oil into the mixer bowl and grind to a smooth paste. Use a little of the water in which the chickpea was cooked to grind. Be careful not to add too much water. 
• When it is well ground, transfer to a serving bowl and pour the olive oil over it. 
• Serve garnished with paprika powder. (optional) 

Ingredients:

Chickpeas - 1/2 cup 

Sesame seeds - 4 tablespoons 

Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon 

Garlic (minced) - 1 teaspoon 

Lemon juice -1/2 tablespoon 

Salt to taste 

Garnish:

Olive oil - 1 Tablespoon 

Red Paprika powder - 1/4 teaspoon (optional) 

Note: If you have tahini paste with you, add it instead of sesame seeds.