Ranjini Rao and Ruchira Ramanujam are two best friends, whose brainchild, Tadka Pasta, isn't just a food blog they started in 2011, when in the US. It is a repertoire of stories and recipes from their own kitchens where they learnt to rise above burnt breads and picky-eating phases of their girls and from the tastes and traditions they've picked up during their travels. With two books published in quick succession: Mango Masala 60 Indian Recipes from Your Local Supermarket and Around the World with the Tadka Girls, they began to see food literature in a new light.

Upon returning to India a few years ago, they took their love for food, books and children forward through many avenues, right from conducting workshops for children in schools and summer camps with a focus on the nutritional and cultural aspects of food to designing healthy and fun recipes for children's menus for clients. They won the FICCI FLO Bangalore Women of the Year Award in 2016, for their work in the local food and culture scene.

They live in Bengaluru, where they often discuss plots and plans over endless cups of filter coffee. They love chillies, chocolate and everything in between, and can twist themselves up into pretzels for a plate of good food.