I’m someone who hates flying. Most of the times, I prefer our good old Indian trains. And even if I take a flight, I hardly buy any food item from the airport or on the plane. Nothing will happen if I starve for a few hours, is my general thought.

Once I was flying from Bengaluru to Mumbai. It was early in the morning, and I was looking for something that could shut my morning tummy noises at the airport café. I felt lost looking at the glass display counters. Cookies. No. Muffins. No. Packed sandwiches. Nah. I came back to my seat with an agitated face. I hate airports! I thought to myself. A few minutes later, a woman sitting next to me got a box of fresh-looking salad. “It’s a Greek salad and a healthier option,” she smiled confidently. Early morning if a sensible looking woman advises you something, take it. I decided to listen to her, and guess what? I was totally sold over the crunchiness of the veggies, freshness of the olive oil and lemon dressing and the softness of the cheese.

One day, I decided to try this salad at home. The original recipe calls for Feta cheese and more colourful veggies. Some people add olives and Pita bread to it as well. But I decided to give it a twist and packed it with my husband’s office lunch. Guess what? He totally loved it. I also took it for one of our train travels and our friends loved it, too. That was a stamp. Turns out, this version of Greek salad is not bad at all.

Recipe: Greek Salad (with an Indian twist)

In a bowl, add some chopped onion, tomato, cucumber and green capsicum. Cut them into square shapes or big chunks. You can also add some colourful peppers, if you have them available in your refrigerator. You can remove the tomato and cucumber seeds, if you want to. Next, add some homemade crumbled cottage cheese or paneer in the same bowl. Crumble the paneer with your fingers. Add a dash of salt, crushed black pepper, dry oregano or fresh basil leaves, juice of half a lemon and a teaspoon of olive oil. And, there you have it, my dear readers. A quick Greek-inspired salad.