Lenten Recipe #2 -- Indian Masala Noodles

I received this recipe from one of my old Computer Science professors way back from my undergraduate days at Georgia Tech.

Indian Masala Noodles

1 c. semolina noodles, broken into 1 inch bits, cooked
3/4 c. crushed tomatoes
3/4 c. frozen veggie mix, cooked
1/2 t. cumin seeds, whole
1/4 t. turmeric
1/2 c. chopped onion
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 sliced jalapeño
1/2 t Garam Masala spice*
2 T. olive oil
salt, to taste

Cook noodles, drain, rinse in cold water. Steam veggies, set noodles and veggies aside.
Heat oil; add onion, garlic, cumin, turmeric. Sauté 1-2 mins. (Don't burn it!) Add jalapeño and tomatoes and stir for 2-3 min. Add veggies and noodles and salt; stir 1-2 min. Add Garam Masala and stir 1-2 min. Serves four.

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*Garam Masala

1/3 whole nutmeg
1 1/2 t. cardamom seeds
1 1/2 t. black peppercorns
1 1/2 t. black cumin seeds
1 1/2 t. coriander seeds
2 inch stick of cinnamon
1/2 t. whole cloves
curl of mace

Break the nutmeg into pieces by firmly knocking it with the bottom of a coffee mug. Put all the masala ingredients in a medium skillet. Toast the spices over medium-high heat, swirling the skillet occasionally, until they become fragrant, about 3-5 minutes. Let the spices cool slightly, transfer them to a spice/coffee grinder and pulse the switch to pulverize them into a fine powder. Transfer the mixture to a storage container. Courtesy Kathleen O'Rourke, Cooking with the Spices of India.