Rober: Maybe the weather wasn’t the best when we were visiting Glacier, but it did make for an outing we’ll never forget–we had Logan’s Pass all to ourselves, not even the bears wanted to be there with weather like that.
Jessica: It’s true. Still, no one was complaining about the sun at Holland Lake the next day. You were asking about what word I would use for an impressive view, and I said I usually feel like breathtaking is too dramatic, but the views from the waterfall came close!
Rober: I would call it breathtaking, at least I did in my post about it! So, I guess the adjective asombroso would be the Spanish version of breathtaking, it’s really expressive but maybe I wouldn’t use it. Hmm, in this case, I think we should pick something that you would use in Spanish to describe the view. We hiked and then we feasted on elk sausage, cheese, and chana masala, along with wine from Sonoma Valley. Nos pusimos moraos!
Jessica: It was a decadent picnic for sure! We don’t have the same expression in English–we made ourselves purple–but I feel like it makes sense, like you ate so much you couldn’t breathe or something. Is it more like saying we stuffed ourselves because the food was so good and you’re satisfied? Or like you ate too much and feel too full now?
Rober: It’s kind of a mix between the two, the food was delicious and you ate too much because of that. Sometimes it is used with drinks too, to say that you have drunk too much, or more often when you have combined a big amount of food and drink. It’s really common when you are talking with relatives or friends in a colloquial way. Most people would use moraos instead of morados, cutting out the d, because it sounds more natural.
Jessica: Entonces, nos pusimos moraos, así que dimos un paseo en canoa para…There is another expression I’ve heard you use before to say something like, work off the meal or digest the meal?
Rober: Creo que te refieres a “rebajar la comida”; por ejemplo, “vamos a dar un paseo y rebajamos un poco la comida, hemos comido demasiado.”
Jessica: Right, rebajamos la comida, so we wouldn’t be too moraos for a swim.
Rober: Never too purple for a swim!
Chana Masala
Olive oil
1 medium onion
2 medium cloves garlic
1 tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp ground coriander
¼ tsp ground ginger
1 tsp garam masala
3 cardamom pods
1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
1 tsp kosher salt
1 Tbs cilantro leaves
1-2 pinches cayenne
2 15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained
6-8 Tbs plain whole milk yogurtChana masala is not a difficult dish to prepare, but as you can see, you need to have a number of spices on hand. The first step is to cover the bottom of a large pan with olive oil and heat it a bit before adding the coarsely chopped onion, stirring frequently to prevent burning.Reduce the heat and add the minced garlic, pouring in a little more olive oil if necessary and cooking a bit before adding the garam masala, cumin seeds, coriander, ginger, and cardamom pods lightly crushed, to fry them. When they are toasted, which will be pretty quickly, add ¼ cup of water, and cook until water disappears and merges with the rest of the ingredients. Now, add the salt and the can of tomatoes and use an electric mixer to crush them.
Boost the heat and bring to a boil. Reduce to low and add the cayenne and the cilantro leaves, slightly torn, reserving a few for garnish. Wait until the sauce is thick and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Add the chickpeas and cook for about 5 minutes. Add a couple of tbs of water and wait until the water has evaporated away. Do this a few times. That will help to get more tender and tasty chickpeas. Adjust the seasoning again and mix the yogurt with the rest of the ingredients. Garnish with cilantro leaves and serve. Remember that basmati rice is a perfect accompaniment for many Indian dishes!
Chana Masala
Aceite de oliva
1 cebolla
2 dientes de ajo
1 cucharadita de comino
½ cucharadita cilantro
¼ cucharadita jengibre
1 cucharadita de garam masala
3 vainas de cardamomo
800 grs. de tomates enteros pelados en lata
1 cucharadita de sal
1 cucharada de hojas de cilantro troceado
Una pizca de cayena, al gusto
800 grs. de garbanzos
Para adornar: yogur y más cilantroNo es un plato difícil preparar, pero como has visto, necesitas tener varias especias a mano. El primer paso es cubrir la base de una cacerola con aceite de oliva y calentarla un poco antes de poner la cebolla. Removiendo de vez en cuando para que no se queme.
Baja el calor y añade el ajo, con un poco más de aceite si hace falta. Cocina medio minuto. Añade el garam masala, las semillas de comino y cilantro, el jengibre, y las vainas de cardamomo. Fríe las especias removiendo con frecuencia. Cuando estén tostadas, después de unos segundos, pon un cuarto de taza de agua, y cocina hasta que se desaparezca el agua y se mezcle con el resto de los ingredientes. Ahora, añade los tomates, triturando con las manos o una cuchara. Añade la sal.
Sube el calor hasta que hierva. Bájalo de nuevo y pon la cayena y las hojas de cilantro. Cuando esté espesa la salsa, ajusta las especias. Agrega los garbanzos y cocina durante 5 minutos. Añade 2 cucharadas de agua y espera hasta que se evapore. Repite. Este proceso te ayuda conseguir unos garbanzos tiernos y sabrosos. Prueba y ajusta las especias si lo consideras necesario. Adorna con yogur y/o cilantro y sirve.
Día a Day 