Warm whole chickpea dish with tahini and lemon

Drain and rinse the canned chickpeas thoroughly. Place them in a small saucepan with about 120ml of water and a pinch of salt. Heat over medium-low heat for 5-7 minutes, until warmed through and slightly softened.

While the chickpeas are warming, prepare the tahini sauce. In a small bowl, combine the tahini, freshly squeezed juice from half a lemon (about 2 tablespoons), and minced garlic.

Add 60ml of water to the tahini mixture and whisk vigorously until it becomes smooth and creamy. If it's too thick, add a little more water, one tablespoon at a time, until it reaches a pourable consistency. Season with salt to taste.

Once the chickpeas are warm, transfer them and about 2-3 tablespoons of their cooking liquid to a serving bowl. Use the back of a spoon or a fork to lightly mash about a quarter of the chickpeas, leaving most of them whole for texture.

Pour the prepared tahini sauce over the warm chickpeas. Stir gently to combine, ensuring all chickpeas are coated with the creamy sauce.

Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with ground cumin and paprika, and garnish generously with fresh chopped parsley. Serve immediately with warm pita bread.