Esta deliciosa bebida es un remedio iraní para los resfriados

In *Like a Chef*, we peek at the pros for their very best tips. This time, we learn from an Iranian chef which drink they turn to in Iran when colds strike. With Shir Korma, you make cough syrup unnecessary.

The chef in question

The Iranian chef in question calls herself The Iranian Vegan. Mana, the woman behind it, hails from the Iranian diaspora and lives in London. On her platform, she brings together her Iranian background and her vegan lifestyle. For Mana, eating is more than just food: the dishes, rituals, and customs surrounding cooking and eating are an important way to stay connected to her heritage and family history.

Although meat plays a major role in Iranian food culture, Mana shows that plant-based eating doesn't mean you have to leave your culinary heritage behind, but rather that you can continue to cherish traditional Iranian dishes and customs while simultaneously adapting them to how you want to live today. In doing so, she inspires hundreds of thousands of followers with colorful videos that show you that plant-based Iranian food is not nearly as much of a niche as it might seem.

Meeting

When we state that The Iranian Vegan is a successful chef, we are not exaggerating; her videos reach millions of people, and not without reason. Just look at her recent video of Shir Khorma, which is performing quite well with 19.2 million views (!).

But why? Firstly, Shir Khorma promotes it as a natural substitute for cough syrup. Now that autumn is bringing some physical malaise again, Shir Khorma is a great remedy to throw into the fight against colds and other discomforts. Secondly, the drink is different from the norm, without containing all sorts of mysterious ingredients. And thirdly, it just looks very, very, very tasty – see for yourself.

This is how you make Shir Khorma

So, Shir Khorma it is! A drink that will help us survive many bleak autumn and winter mornings. What do you need?

• 500 ml plant-based milk
• 4 dates
• 1 handful of walnuts
• 2.5 cm fresh ginger (peeled)
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon cardamom

Next, put all the ingredients in a blender and mix until smooth. Bring the mixture to a boil and then let it simmer gently over low heat for about 5 minutes, until it has thickened slightly. Now serve the milk warm in small cups.

Variants of Shir Khorma

Although this version is great – tested and approved! – we also see recipes appearing online that place different emphases. For instance, we see versions with rose water (delicious), and sometimes even vermicelli noodles or rice are used. In terms of texture, you can choose either a coarser version (thanks to the mixed nuts) or a smooth, sifted version. Moreover, we can easily imagine turning this into a magnificent breakfast with extra oatmeal.

In traditional medicine, it is believed that the ingredients give you an energy boost (the ginger contributes significantly to this), and they view it as a way to warm your body from within. We have a feeling this tip is going to come in handy.