DOSHA TEST — Jasmine Hemsley

RECIPES EVENTS TONGUE TINGLER

SHOP PAGE SPICE RACK PANTRY STAPLES KITCHEN BENCH BEAUTY CABINET LIFESTYLE

WHAT IS AYURVEDA? FIND YOUR DOSHA CLEANSE + RESET MY-URVEDA + GUESTS AGNI AUNT GLOSSARY RESOURCES

EAST BY WEST - THE BOOK EAST BY WEST - THE CAFÉ CRYSTAL SOUND BATHS HEMSLEY + HEMSLEY HEMSLEY + HEMSLEY CAFÉ LEON X JASMINE HEMSLEY

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SHOP SHOP PAGE SPICE RACK PANTRY STAPLES KITCHEN BENCH BEAUTY CABINET LIFESTYLE AYURVEDA WHAT IS AYURVEDA? FIND YOUR DOSHA CLEANSE + RESET MY-URVEDA + GUESTS AGNI AUNT GLOSSARY RESOURCES RECIPES EVENTS PROJECTS EAST BY WEST - THE BOOK EAST BY WEST - THE CAFÉ CRYSTAL SOUND BATHS HEMSLEY + HEMSLEY HEMSLEY + HEMSLEY CAFÉ LEON X JASMINE HEMSLEY ABOUT JASMINE HEMSLEY EAST BY WEST PRESS WORK WITH JASMINE CHARITY SUPPORT SUBSCRIBE BLOG ALL NEWS FOOD BEAUTY LA VIDA VEDA FASHION TRAVEL MY-URVEDA GUESTS PODCASTS TONGUE TINGLER

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What are the chances of getting an #Ayurvedic thali in a hotel restaurant?! 🤔🤔 Pretty high when you are in #Kerala - the birth place of #Ayurveda 🙌🙌 Fresh, wholesome and delicately spiced rather than chilli fever 🥵, this spread at @cghearth’s Brunson Boatyard featured Kerala’s speciality - Matta rice aka Red rice. A variety of short, thick brown rice, it takes waaaay longer to cook and has an earthy flavour. Who’s tried it? Also pictured are pickles, chutneys, a cabbage dish and a bottle gourd curry which might just be my favourite (and one I’ve had multiple time’s this holiday!!) - thank you to everybody on my DMs who has been suggesting UK based stockists of this tasty veg (now I’ve moved out of #elephantandcastle and central London it’s harder to find!) - anybody tried growing this in their garden? 🥒 🥒 .
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Gifted trip from @merakitraveluk #mymeraki #merakitravel #thereisonlynow

Travelling the backwaters of #Kerala via house boat 🌊 .
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#Alleppey is known as the “Venice of the East” thanks to its series of connecting canals surrounding villages, water side homes, coconut plantations 🥥 and paddy fields 🌱. A special call, a bit like water bird 🐦 gets you a river taxi. In many places it is also 3 metres below sea level. Still recovering from the flood in Aug 2018 it will take many of the farms 10 years to get back to where they were. .
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Who caught last night’s Super Full Moon 🌕?? Check out my stories for @nickhopper_galacticman’s pic of the full moon. .
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Wearing top gifted by @banjanan and trousers handmade from old saris, purchased for £2 on the roadside! .
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Gifted trip from @merakitraveluk #mymeraki #merakitravel #thereisonlynow

This is my 4th visit to India 🇮🇳 - totalling nearly 6 months of falling in love with India’s fashion (I’m a bit of a magpie anyway so you can just imagine!... Bling!!! 💎 💎) .
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This January I made friends with a girl called Sana who ran her parent’s boutique tailor shop with her sister Sara in a local shopping complex. She humoured my daily visits (it was near the #Panchakarma clinic) and fascination with the rainbow fabrics 🌈 and array of finishes and styles. She then surprised me with an ‘auto’ (Tuk Tuk) trip to a huge fabric warehouse and that was it - we started making outfits! This is the fanciest one of the few (see another I wore in my #Meenakshi temple post). We picked the embroidered net of the skirt and then rummaged through the fabric bins looking for offcuts to make the top. Her two tailors Abdul and Mustafa laughed as I popped my head in 3 times a day because it’s just so exciting getting something made just for you! Like a kid in a sweet shop 🍬🍬Who else has treasured pieces from India they’ve brought back with them?

From birthday love (thank you all!) to chutney love… Who loves a chutney?!
Classic coconut, tomato, peanut and coriander - we’ve also got some carrot and gourd too - as well as a dish of sambhar - idli/dosa/appam dipping heaven! 🍎🍐🍊🍋🍌🍈🍍🥥🍅🍆🥕
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I’m known as a bit of a ‘Condiment Queen’ - sour pickles, salty sprinkles, sweet dips, and spicy jams I love how a simple wholesome dish is transformed into something ‘extra’.
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I grew up loving cooked fruit and vegetable chutneys (often paired with cheese as well as curries - Nick’s mum makes amazing cooked chutneys) - but i didn’t really clock for years that the green herbal poppadom sauce you got in Indian restaurants is also a ‘chutney’ in India. Something more akin to a smooth pesto, fresh chutneys are a traditional part of Indian and Sri Lankan cuisines and play an important role from an Ayurvedic perspective. The role of #Ayurvedic chutneys is so much more than just the initial taste sensation - by incorporating all 6 tastes - sweet, astringent, sour, salty, pungent and bitter. (or as many of the 6 tastes as possible - see #Eastbywest or www.jasminehemsley.com for more info) we can bring balance to the mind-body as well create a satisfying meal.
They add nutrition, aid digestion, boost your agni and promote health in the body - since the 6 tastes are linked to the 5 elements. Just by tweaking the ratio of the ingredients or choosingcertain chutney recipes you can also help balance any personal dosh imbalances you are experiencing. I.e feeling sluggish and unenthusiastic - amp up the ginger and add a little kick of chilli 🌶
Thanks to blenders and food processors, making fresh chutneys is now a quick affair, which is good because they are best eaten that day (or store for up to 3 days in the fridge) - unlike their cooked counterparts which require a lot of chopping, cooking etc but can then be stored for months.
I’ll be featuring these recipes soon - both the Keralan and the Ayurvedic version which will be much less rajas and spicy. Meanwhile, now that I’ve made your mouth water, wishing you a delicious breakfast 🍵And if you just can’t wait then try the ever popular Fresh Green Chutney pg 229 East by West

So this is 39 🎂🎂Counting my blessings today for all that I am, all that I’ve been and all that I’ll be.
What does 39 look like so far? After a morning puja with a Jyotish Brahman and his family (who came well recommended - thank you to everyone who comments on my posts and sends messages and ideas for my travels on #Kerala!) to celebrate, I tucked into my favourite #Keralan brekkie - a jaggery and coconut appam followed by a ragi dosa with chutneys (basically Indian pancake heaven 🥞) PLUS a noodle nest (idiayappam - cos my mum likes me eating noodles on my birthday to symbolise a long life) with black chana curry (kadala curry) and a plain paratha with chocolate sauce (cos it’s my birthday) and a black chai masala with a dash of freshly squeezed coconut milk (yes you squeeze coconut 🥥!). I’m wearing a dress I bought for $10 from a thrift shop exactly 9 years ago in the Blue Mountains ⛰ in Australia (which Nick didn’t like and I put it on today and he said ‘that’s nice where’s it from’), we started discussing maybe actually getting married this year (maaaan we’re slow at this stuff 🤣🤣), I’ve realised that I learnt more about myself in 2018 than ever before (or maybe I’m just being more honest with myself) and recently found out that I’m a goat 🐐 (yes that’s right @richardleemassey ) rather than a water bearer - more on that below…
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So according to the Jyotish (Vedic) calendar I’m a Capricorn ♑ as opposed to an Aquarian ♒ which has been interesting. I’ve had amazing readings from both Vedic and Western astrology over the years that have blown my mind - though both systems were once calculated from the same zodiacal plane around 285AD, due to the tilt of the axis which causes the earth to revolve with a wobble (known as precession) causing it to lose time and be far from a precise formula (because nature never is - though science so wants it to be!) at present there is an approx 24 degree difference between the two schools of astrology.
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For those that think astrology is weird/unscientific/can’t be true since the systems don’t even match each other, consider them as the same truths told from different perspectives. SEE MORE IN COMMENTS (I go on 😂🙏) ⬇️

Nothing to see here! Except 2 cheeseburgers 🍔🍔 playing love birds 🐦🐦while enjoying a thali (take a peek on stories to see a proper pic of this ‘sadhya’ aka feast of Kerala’s most famous dishes). .
Meanwhile, a hug 🤗 and a kiss 😘 to everyone on this day of love... ❤️plus a little love story about a certain little love bug I’ve come to know... 🐕🙈
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If you’ve been following my Insta stories you might have spotted the scrappy little street dog who would plant her head in my lap, armpit, bottom (basically anywhere she could to get as close to you as possible) whenever she saw me - head over to my stories to fall in love yourself! 🥰 Sadly, she’s just lost her two little pups to Parvo, though we did everything we could to save the boys they died a few days after the symptoms were spotted. Savitri (meaning sun goddess) or "Savvy" as we’ve come to know and love her, is all clear but required medication to dry up her milk and is also being treated for anaemia (she was extremely malnourished when we found her). We tried to put her back in the neighbourhood to resume her old life but a recent spate of dog beatings 😫 had all the people who’ve fallen in love with her beyond worried. My local Hydrabdi friends aren’t allowed any dogs in their homes. After weighing up the options, friends in Australia who I met on PK, decided that 3 months' quarantine in India and a direct flight to London was better than 6 months' quarantine and a crazy long flight to Oz. So we’re trying to bring Savvy the street dog, who wants to be a pet dog, back home with us (!) but as you can imagine it’s a costly affair... Go to the link in my bio to read Savvy’s story and please donate if you can! 😍

We’re just reaching the end of the first week of our whirlwind tour of #Kerala with a bit of #TamilNadu thrown in for good measure 🇮🇳 So far we’ve visited #Kochi, #Munnar and #Madurai, 4-6 hour road trips 🚙 🚙 post PK treatment is not what I’d organise if I could do it all over again but it has been so much fun 😊 The idea of a touring holiday (other than my fun wine tasting tour with our best friends @nativecoach and @sjaniel in South Africa many moons ago 🍷) has never appealed but I have learnt and seen so much in such a short space of time and been able to get a brilliant feel for this part of India. It has been so UN-touristy yet I don’t think I’ve ever felt so safe on any of our wanders. Even at the busy markets we’ve been the only foreigners (at that moment in time anyway) and the badgering and bartering has been minimal compared to other countries we’ve been to. Apart from being aware of the ‘auto’ (automatic rickshaws that the westerners call Tuk Tuks) drivers in Kochi (#Cochin) quite literally ‘taking you for a ride’ it’s all been relatively chilled. So this is me, arriving in #Thekkady (means Teak trees) - and of course being India it’s also know by many other names (which is another reason why travelling with a tour company like @merakitraveluk makes life easier!) i.e. Periyar (the name of its national park), High Range (because it’s in the high grounds) and Kumily (which is the most well known town there). Leaving behind the hustle and bustle of the previous cities we’ve visited, we’ve loved hanging out in this lush forest village 🌲🌲, listening to the birds 🐦 (and the noisy frogs 🐸 and noisy insects 🐜🕷🦗that sound like birds) and breathing in fresh air, we can feel ourselves decompress again. This morning, as I wandered around @niraamayaretreats #cardamomclub where we are staying I came across the staff doing a group breathing mediation on the deck at 9am (chilled staff = chilled guests). You might have caught my #mudra instruction cards on Instagram stories which comes as part of the turn down service here (along with a couple of choccies!) 🍫 •
Gifted trip from @merakitraveluk #mymeraki #merakitravel #thereisonlynow

Love is in the air! 🥰 Anyone recognise this dish from #EastbyWest? I’m sharing it over on the blog today (link in bio) after it featured in @thetimes this weekend as part of their Valentine’s Day spread - where chefs shared what they actually cook for their other halves. Inspired by a trip to Sri Lanka Nick & I went on 3 years ago it’s become a seasoned (no pun intended) favourite in our house ❤ You can’t go wrong with the fragrant spices and exotic coconut 🥥 milk, then all you need to do is poach the fish for 5 minutes. Nick does a lot of the cooking at home but when it’s my turn this is a go-to 👩🏻‍🍳👩🏻‍🍳 We’ll still be on our travels this Valentine’s Day so will definitely be tucking into the Keralan version since both Sri Lanka and Kerala do curries, fresh fish and plenty of coconut very well! 🐟 🐟 What will you be eating with your loved ones on 14th? 😍😍 #valentinesday

With my birthday just around the corner I’ve been reflecting on reaching another year. Both challenged and intrigued by my emerging grey hairs and the idea of living the last year of my 30’s I’m starting to process the ups and downs of the past 9 years.
Hanging out in India 🇮🇳 where the #Hindu way of life is prominent I came across this proverb which really sums up what I’ve learnt so far and that’s to follow your ‘dharma’. There isn’t a single translation for this in the west but it roughly implies that there is a right way for each person to carry out their lives and consequently play their role as part of a bigger picture. If you are following your truest calling, whatever that looks like, good and bad it’s all part of the script to get you where you’re going. Which means that only you can know best how to move forward 👉👉 Yes we will get lots of advice on the way which we should always embrace with an inquisitive and playful mind rather than a dogmatic one - but when you feel the subtle pull from nature sending you signals and signposts to your true path, listen up - otherwise nature will start throwing them at you in weird (and often wonderful) ways. What works for you doesn’t always work for others and other people’s paths shouldn’t be the total inspiration for your own. Be sure this is your journey, not one dictated by others, and don’t try to control anyone else’s. So climb your mountains ⛰, the short way or the long way round, just do it your way and don’t regret a thing. Keep listening to nature who’s always organising, keep learning the lessons and keep moving on! 😊😊

Coconut refresher 🥥 Not sure what possessed me to cut a short fringe in high humidity - it annoys the local ladies when they try to put bindis on me 😂 .
India is colourful 🌈 and the shops, stands and carts are overflowing with fresh produce, coconut husk everything and...plastic. Here you really appreciate just what makes plastic so fantastic. When you have to carry water from the lake or well - having something almost unbreakable and lightweight is worth much more than it’s weight in gold...
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But something I have noticed - paper straws. Not just in the hotels who are slowly but surely trying to get more eco-friendly by bringing in water filters to cut plastic bottles etc, but also street side coconut stands use paper straws too - even the non-tourist ones. And then my favourite eco-hack discovery: one water dispenser, one stainless steel cup. This is de rigour here. Need water 💧 while passing through an airport, visiting a temple or waiting at the doctors? Just pick up the communal cup, fill it, and then expertly pour it from a height into your upturned mouth while no contact is made by you to the water or any part of the cup that touches the water. Imagine how many plastic, and even paper cups, that saves!!! The giant plastic water carriers themselves are collected to be refilled and reused again. I was reading a book last night about mogul India which mentioned how you knew how long a foreigner had been in India by the way he could perform this task - done badly and you saturate not just your face but your whole chest. Luckily you’d dry off pretty easily in the south of India where I’m staying but it probably wouldn’t be much appreciated in UK in winter... Could this system work nevertheless in the west? There’s a lot of trust from a hygiene point of view but if we can cut plastic shopping bags in supermarkets by up to 90% and a similar statistic with straws, and made a dent in single use plastic bottles by investing in stainless steel water flasks with some global social media awareness I wonder if we would do away with the water dispenser single use cups???? What do you say? 🤔🤔

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