Over the last few years, we’ve seen food become big business, and why not? Food is something that breaks all barriers and can get people to connect instantly. WhatSheLikes is currently doing a series on women Foodprenuers and will be covering several of them in the coming days.
Ranjini & Ruchira met as neighbours in the US for the first time and they instantly connected over food. From community potlucks to baking workshops, there’s a whole lot that got the two together. In a bid to chronicle their experiments with food, they started the blog ‘Tadka Pasta‘ back in 2011. With so much on their plates, they soon saw an opportunity for a book and seized it with open arms. Catering primarily to the American readers, ‘Mango Masala’ was their first book and was followed soon by the second one – ‘Around The World With The Tadka Girls’.
Around the time their second book was launched, the duo moved back to India and decided to put in some serious thoughts into charting out the way forward themselves. Today, from food workshops to providing consultation for food based businesses to mentoring aspiring cookbook authors, these two do it all!
Like any other business, starting this one had its challenges too. For Ranjini and Ruchira, it was getting a grip on the blog formatting and structuring the creative content. Today of course, they do it with ease. They don’t look at problems as struggles, but as challenges that helps them create something – be it a book or a workshop or whatever else, that is bigger than just their love for good food.
For this ‘Tadka Pasta’ duo, food is a veritable form of cultural immersion. Geography and traditions play a key role in making different dishes what they are, and the specialties of different regions are a true testimony to that. With this in their minds their focus is now firmly rooted in the cultural aspects of food as a whole. The two intend to travel extensively, learn as much as they can and innovate suitably with their creations, from the writing desk right up to the dining table. They foresee many more books and customized workshops coming to life in the near future, and will likely amp up their endeavors on recent foray into consulting for food-related businesses and aspiring cookbook authors.
Whats started out as a fun activity has given the duo a gratifying purpose and direction today. Not only has it helped them streamline their love for good food, it also fuels their collective creative energy and keeps the two doing what they love the most.
You can follow Tadka Pasta on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.