Chef Keith Sarasin fell in love with Indian food in an unexpected place, in the back corner of a spice shop in Nashua, N.H., where the owner, Indira, asked him if he was hungry and handed him a steaming Styrofoam cup of dahl. The flavorful lentil stew ignited something in Sarasin and he’s been researching and cooking Indian food for two decades since.

Boston diners can enjoy the fruits of that labor at Aatma Curry House, newly opened in Widowmaker Brewing Co. in Brighton. Sarasin hopes his respect for, and appreciation of Indian cuisine comes through for diners, whether they’re experienced Indian food eaters or complete newbies.

“A lot of times, Indian food gets relegated to the buffet line and to take out,” said Sarasin. “I hope that people get a sense that this food is absolutely outstanding. We grind every single spice. It’s a labor of love and I think people taste the difference.”

The menu features a handful of classics, including Indira’s dahl, a savory butter chicken and a lamb seekh kebab. These dishes are deeply satisfying. In other areas of the menu cuisine shines even further when Sarasin fuses Indian techniques and traditions with global flavors.

A-Char-Siu is a combination of Cantonese pork char siu with Indian achari masala for a sweet, smoky and spicy meat blend served over hot rice with bok choy. The Aatma burger, which Sarasin spent three months developing, turns an American smash burger into an Indian dream with masal-spiced halal beef patties doused in house sauce, achari onions and Indian amul cheese.

Beverages include a soothing house-made chai, a mango lassi with rose syrup and Thums Up, India’s answer to Coke. And, of course, Widowmaker beer is plentiful.

It was important to Sarasin to make Indian food as accessible as possible. These fusion dishes help do that, bringing in other flavors folks may recognize. There’s also a glossary in the menu explaining all the different Indian words and dishes.

“This is a way that we feel helps bring our food to a whole different universe for people who are trying Indian cuisine for the first time or expanding their palate beyond chicken tikka masala and garlic naan,” Sarasin said.

For this humble chef, it all comes back to that first cup of dahl standing in the back of the spice shop. That warmth and generosity, in both the food and the human connection, are what he hopes to channel at Aatma.

“I wanted to really put a love letter to Indian cuisine through the eyes of a person who never grew up there,” Sarasin said. “What I really hope that people feel when they eat here is a sense of community, a sense of love and passion.”

ON THE WEB

See the full menu at aatmacurryhouse.com