Martin, cumin is cumin in English (and, I take it, French?); curcuma is another version of turmeric, what they say in German, I believe.
Your meal sounds fantastic; much nicer than pasta with anything. I rather miss the "slitheriness" of well buttered pasta, but do admit that the joys of pasta are really the joys of the various sauces. And sauces (and melted butter) can find, and have found, much better paths to my mouth when I am longing for such things.