Warm aromatic spices permeate the dining room at Turmeric. Hints of cinnamon, cardamom and clove hang in the air as Indian specialties pass through the dining room on their way to a hungry diner’s table. I’ve just stepped through the front door, and my mouth is already watering from the fragrance alone.

The new Indian restaurant occupies the old Starlite Room on the corner of 10th Street and Cocoanut Avenue, just north of downtown Sarasota. The location has seen many businesses come and go over the years, but Turmeric is serving up the kind of cuisine that sticks, thanks to chef Sarabjit Singh.

The dining room is well-lit, maybe a touch too bright, with fluorescent lighting pouring down from above. Sunny yellow chairs surround the tables and are contrasted by rich teal green booths. The atmosphere is cheerful as diners dig into their collections of curries and rice. And, like I mentioned, the smell is divine.

The menu features a lengthy non-alcoholic beverage menu, with selections like ginger lemonade ($8) and a passion fruit mojito ($10), sans rum. I opt for the former despite my aversion to too much ginger. It’s bright and thirst-quenching, and to my relief, the lemon is the star, singing through a gentle undercurrent of ginger.

The menu offers a comprehensive tour of India with biryanis, curries, samosas, tandoori and so many types of bread. Turmeric also features a South Indian section, with specialties like dosa (a crisp rice and lentil crepe, $16) and dum biryani (a rice dish flavored with saffron, $20-$26).

I order my favorites: dal makhani (lentils simmered with tomatoes, ginger and garlic, $16), chana masala (chickpeas in a curry, $19) and garlic naan. I’m also intrigued by a dish called sham savera ($22)—described as spinach and cottage cheese dumplings with spices in a creamy tomato sauce. I’ve never seen it before and order it in place of my standby saag paneer ($22)—fresh Indian cheese in a stewed spinach curry.

The server asks my preferred heat level on a scale of one to four. One is mild and four is described as “Indian hot.” I do love heat, but doubt I can hang with the spiciest iteration of each dish, so I select number three. I hope to sweat, but not cry.

Aromas from other tables bring the rumble in my stomach to a roar as I wait for my dinner, which arrives at lightning speed. I portion a bit from each curry onto my plate, with a heaping helping of basmati rice and naan. The dal makhani is earthy and perfectly spiced. I want a sip of water, but not as much as I want to take another bite, which I scoop up with a small piece of naan.

The chana masala is made with chickpeas in a tangy curry—emphasis on tangy. Deep masala (a traditional blend of spices) flavors are highlighted by a burning spice, hotter than the first dish. It’s time for a sip of lemonade, which quenches my thirst as I return for the sham savera. Paneer, a house-made cheese, fills the dark dumplings and cuts through the heat that seems to be added directly to the dumpling dough. This dish is a celebration of tomato. The whole thing is the color of red tomato soup and bursts with umami and acid. The dumplings sink in the curry pot, encouraging a treasure hunt for the next great bite.

I wish I had saved room for dessert, but my appetite was too big at the beginning of the meal. Sweet offerings include favorites like gulab jamun (fried dough balls in a cardamom syrup, $10) and kheer (a caramelized basmati rice pudding with almonds and pistachios, $10). I was hoping to sample the rasmalai macarons ($12), which are flavored with rosewater syrup, but for now, I’m content with my leftovers, to be enjoyed for lunch tomorrow.

Turmeric | 1001 Cocoanut Ave., Sarasota, (941) 212-2622, turmericsarasota.com