~*A Special Mother's Day Weekend*~

Mother's Day started on Friday for us since I couldn't wait to give my mom and grandmother the flowers I bought for them. I left work early and drove straight to the local florist (been going there since my prom). I had a floral arrangement made for both them; sending lots of love from my sister, dad and me.

They loved the burst of color from all the various flowers: lilies, daises, mums, roses, hydrangeas, and carnations. The florist inserted shimmering crystals into some of the flowers for that extra sparkle. Only the very best for the special ladies in my life.

My mom is "one of a kind" and she deserves things that are also just like her. So of course, I had to give her this brooch.

A great find from Red Ribbon Gift Shop, Morris Plains NJ 

Once gift giving was complete, I kicked my mom out of the kitchen and started on the next surprise; it's something crunchy and peanut buttery.

Chunky Chana and Potato Dip

Oh thank heavens for Lentil goodness!

Ingredients: 

- 2 cups of Whole Chana (Black or Green Chana), soaked in water overnight

- 7.75 oz of Salsa (Spice level - Medium)

- 1 medium Potato

- 1 tbsp Ginger-garlic paste
- 1 tbsp Dhanjeera powder 
- ½ tsp chili powder

- ½ tbsp or as needed of Salt

- ½ cup of Cilantro/Coriander leaves, chopped

- 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil

Procedure:

Peel and cut the potato into cubes. In a pressure cooker, heat oil and add dhanjeera & chili powder and ginger-garlic paste. Then stir for 2 minutes. Next add salsa, the whole chana (soaked and drained) and potato pieces. Mix well and then add ½ cup of water and cook under pressure for 10 minutes. Slightly crush the chana and potatoes to make some gravy before the mixture cools down; add little bit of water if necessary. Then transfer the mixture into a serving dish and garnish with chopped coriander. Voila! It's ready to be served. 

***Quick Tips: 

- We like eating it with toasted naan/pita or multi-grain chips.  It's also great as a side with jeera rice, brown rice, or even quinoa.

- If you like this recipe, you may also like Chole curry made with chickpeas.  
- Dollop of sour cream optional!