MOSCOW:- In the year 2026, in mid-April. The capital Moscow was a mix of sun and shade. The cold wind was sometimes gentle and sometimes blowing.

According to Russian citizens, this was Moscow’s ‘summer season’. They were saying that this was the best season for us, at other times it was normal to have knee-deep snow here. In this cold weather, the Nepali restaurant ‘Curry House’ near the Rimsay metro station was gathering in large numbers. ‘Curry House’ is the only Nepali restaurant currently operating in Moscow. Since Nepali gatherings take place here, all kinds of Nepali food is available here. Nepali mahmud has become a specialty here. Not only Nepalis, but also Russian citizens have become connoisseurs of mahmud.

“There may be Indian restaurants that serve Nepali dishes, but this is the only restaurant run by Nepalis and serving Nepali dishes. At present, this is the only restaurant in Moscow that serves mahmash,” said owner Dilli Kharel ‘Suman’.

In fact, along with mahmash, goat stew is equally popular here. Nepali food (dal, rice, vegetables, and pickles) is also very popular with Russian citizens. But in the cold season, the taste of steamed and stewed mahmash is different. All kinds of Nepali food dishes are also available in the restaurant.

According to the owner, Kharel, he had previously operated a restaurant in another place. But after a fire there, nearly 20 million rupees were lost. Kharel, who spent nearly 30 years in Moscow, started this restaurant only a few months ago. It has now become a meeting place for Nepalis.

After tasting Nepali Momo at Curry House, Maldivian journalist Nazim Hassan said it was the most delicious dish he had eaten since coming to Moscow. He said he liked both the Nepali-style ‘steam’ and ‘gravy’ varieties of Momo. He came to Moscow for a four-week fellowship program.

Journalists who came to Moscow with Hassan, Sri Lankan Asanka Nilgaratha, India’s Arpita Chaudhary and Soumya Shukla, and Bhutan’s Dorji Choden, also commented that the taste of the Momo was very delicious. Curry House is not just a Nepali restaurant, it is also a neighborhood for Nepalis living in Moscow. The front part of the curry house is reserved for guests, while the small hall at the back connected to the kitchen is reserved for Nepalis. Nepali citizens gather in this hall almost every day.

In this small room, discussions are held on issues ranging from the problems of non-resident Nepalis to those of students and businessmen. While discussions on NRNs were going on at one table, Nepalis were found at another table relieving their fatigue. Pelmeni (dumplings) similar to Nepali Momo are also available in Moscow. However, although it looks like Momo, the taste is very different. Owner Kharel said that there are many Russian citizens who come back again after eating Momo once.

Sitaram Kattel ‘Milan’, President of the Non-Resident Nepali Association, Russia, said that this is a suitable place for them. The team including Vice President Sangyan Karki was busy discussing the preparations for the cultural program on the occasion of the New Year, 2083.

“After the Corona pandemic, the cultural program to be held in the New Year could not be organized, but this time we have made efforts to continue it again. This is an opportunity to preserve Nepali art and culture abroad,” said Kattel, President of NRNA, Russia.

In the hall, a man was found who had retired from the Russian army after serving for 22 months. After serving in the Indian army for seventeen years, he retired and went to Dubai. From there, he went to Moscow and joined the Russian army. According to him, there were about 35 people who had retired from the Russian army there.

“We come here to have fun, Nepali people, whatever you ask from Bhutan, you get it. That is why this place has become a gathering place for all of us,” he said. He said that when he comes to Curry House, he feels like he has come to Nepal. Pointing to the nearby Madal, (Drum Wooden Nepali Folk Instrument ), he said, “Sometimes we spend the night singing and dancing to the rhythm of this Madal, (Drum Wooden Nepali Folk Instrument ).”

One complaint of Nepalis here is that they cannot send the money they earn back to Nepal. This was not a problem until a few years ago, but now, for various reasons, they are unable to send the money they earn back to Nepal. The problem is due to the sanctions imposed by Western countries due to the war between Russia and Ukraine. The problem has arisen especially since Russian banks have not been able to transact through the global payment system ‘SWIFT’ since 2022.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko told RSS that he was aware of the problem but was unable to immediately resolve it. “The situation has become more serious in the last few years due to various sanctions, especially problems in our banking system, so sending money from Russia to Nepal is not as easy as it used to be,” he said. “But where there is a will, there is a way.”

Minister Rudenko said, for example, that there could be some faster and more efficient ways to send money in cooperation with countries like India, China and Vietnam. “For example, there is a branch of Sberbank, one of the largest banks in Russia, in India, which is working effectively, and that could also be an option in the future.”

According to Curry House owner Kharel, the problem most people who come to Curry House have is not being able to send money. However, he said that they are hopeful that this problem will be resolved soon in the future.