In her first solo cookbook Jasmine Hemsley explains how the gentle healing wisdom of Ayurveda can bring us true vitality and wellbeing
LIVING LA VIDA ’VEDA
You could easily go ahead and create any of the dishes in my new cookbook (such as the taster selection on these pages) and enjoy delicious Ayurveda-inspired food without delving deeper into the ancient holistic healthcare principles at the root of them.
But if you do want to explore, I look forward to helping and supporting you. I encountered Ayurveda in 2001 and it’s been fundamental to my life ever since.
Ayurveda is a 360-degree approach, so it’s reassuring to know that not everything is about getting the food right – and that when you can’t, there are so many other ways to bring balance to your life. From routines to rituals, meditation to yoga, intention-setting and even putting the world to rights with positive thoughts before bed, we can help look after our mental, spiritual and emotional health and find our way to a natural equilibrium.
There is a wealth of information from 5,000 years of Ayurveda and my book certainly can’t hold a fraction of it! In it I share a taster of the lifestyle knowledge of Ayurveda – techniques that can become your everyday tools and examples of what, in time, can become intuitive knowledge.
For more details and masses of info, please go to my website (jasminehemsley.com). There you’ll find articles, shopping lists, meal plans, techniques and tips for the recipes, as well as recommended meditation teachers, retreats and products to help you on your Ayurvedic journey.
Sign up for all the latest releases including my up-and-coming Living La Vida ’Veda monthly newsletter, which will introduce you to ways of integrating Ayurveda into your life. To find a qualified practitioner for a personal consultation, try the Ayurvedic Professionals Association at apa.uk.com.
Tamarind courgette and parsnip curry with cauliflower rice
Thali time!
A thali is a complete meal composed of various little dishes (sometimes up to 15) on a single plate. Usually saved for special occasions, thalis are said to have originated in southern India and have their roots in Ayurveda, where they are a representation of the six traditional Ayurvedic tastes (as well as so many textures), making them not only a balanced and delicious meal but also great for supporting our doshas and bodies.
Pictured are seven basic categories that you can use to build a decent thali from the recipes in the book and here. These include a roti, a rice dish (such as the biryani), a curry, a dal, a soup and a salad (see the book for recipes and ideas for these three elements), plus a raita, chutney or pickle (there are loads of suggestions in the book).
A nice idea is using a thali as a ‘pot luck’ with friends. Divide the dishes between you all, then get together to feast and make merry.
Rotis with miso and avocado butter; Banana and date cookie-dough bites
GET 20 PER CENT OFF THE BOOK
East by West by Jasmine Hemsley is published by Bluebird, price £25.
To order a copy for £20 until 14 January, visit you-bookshop.co.uk or call 0844 571 0640; p&p is free on orders over £15
Text © Jasmine Hemsley 2017 Photographs © Nick Hopper 2017