Homemade currywurst or bratwurst served with a simple curry ketchup made from store cupboard staples, a true German street food legend!
Whilst you are cooking your brats, the sauce can be pulled together in a single pan, meaning that this whole recipe is done and dusted in well under 30 minutes.
German Curry Sausage
Street food is pure magic; it is designed to be quick to cook and easy to eat on the move.
This homemade currywurst recipe joins other delights like Langos from Hungary and, of course, British chippy chips.
Currywurst hails from Germany and, more specifically, Berlin; we even know the name of the person credited with coming up with it.
Her name was Herta Heuwer, and she apparently traded some booze for some ketchup and curry powder and some other sundries and added it to bratwurst sausage and French fries... the phenomenon was born.
Her curry ketchup recipe remained a closely guarded secret, and as a result, there are thousands of versions kicking around.
My recipe sticks to the idea of using ketchup and curry powder as a base. I add apple juice, Worcestershire sauce, which could be a hotly debated addition and some hot mustard.
It is simply delicious, and I adore this currywurst recipe. You could, of course, use my British chip shop style curry sauce as an alternative sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Bratwurst?
Bratwurst is a type of German sausage that varies greatly by region in Germany and is traditionally made from veal or pork, or a combination of both.
Outside of Germany, you will likely get a pork variant that has been pre-cooked. They are very pale in colour and just need heating through and browning.
Can I use different sausages?
Yes absolutely! This recipe is born of local ingredients combined with some "newfound" ingredients, and I firmly believe cooks should continue that tradition.
Food purity is not something that I treasure, and I firmly believe you should embrace local ingredients.
Currywurst is great with a traditional British breakfast sausage, and rocks a good beef sausage too. You could also add the curry ketchup to hot dogs. Speaking of hot dogs, you must try my wonderful hot dog pasta recipe!
What sort of curry powder is best?
I tend to opt for a pretty generic medium Indian curry powder, so nothing special. Curry powder is an ingredient that I rarely use, despite cooking lots of curry recipes.
As a result, I tend to ensure that I buy the smallest packet of curry powder that I can.
What does the Bicarbonate of Soda do?
When you add the Bicarbonate of soda to the acidic sauce, it produces carbon dioxide, hence the fierce bubbling.
The alkaline nature of the bicarb, which is also known as baking soda, neutralises some of the harsh acidic nature of the sauce and gives it a wonderfully rounded flavour to the currywurst sauce.
Serving Suggestions
Currywurst is typically served over French fries, and I like to cook mine in the air fryer.
It is a wonderfully clean and energy-efficient way of creating perfectly crispy fries that is much cheaper than firing up the oven.
However, it is great with all sorts of crispy potatoes.
If frying is your mojo, then you can give it a British twist by adding some chip shop style chips or air fryer chunky chips, complete with salt and vinegar. It works surprisingly well.
I have also served currywurst with my crispy fried potatoes and straw potatoes.
Don't get tunnel-visioned, though, because this dish makes a great sandwich. I particularly like serving it as a hot dog with some crispy onions.
Equipment Used
I only recommend specific brands of equipment if I think that it makes a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Hob/stovetop.
- 24-28cm or 8-11" frying pan.
- 15cm or 6" saucepan.
- Sharp kitchen knife.
- Chopping board.
- Measuring Spoons.
Homemade Currywurst Recipe
Ingredients
- 6-8 Bratwurst Sausages 400g
- 1 tablespoon Cooking Oil
- 2 Spring Onions
- ¼ teaspoon Coarse Sea Salt
- Pinch Curry Powder
For the Curry Ketchup:
- 6 tablespoon Tomato Ketchup
- 2 teaspoon Medium Curry Powder
- 1½ tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 3 tablespoon Apple Juice
- 1 teaspoon English or German Mustard
- ½ teaspoon Bicarbonate of Soda
Instructions
- Add the ketchup, curry powder, Worcestershire Sauce, apple juice and mustard in a small (15cm or 6") saucepan and heat it over a medium heat.
- When the sauce begins to bubble, remove it from the heat and stir in the bicarbonate of soda; this will immediately react with the acid and begin to bubble. Keep stirring until it stops bubbling and then set it aside.
- Finely slice the spring onions.
- Mix the salt with the pinch of curry powder and set aside.
- Heat the cooking oil in a medium (24-28cm or 8-11") frying pan over a medium heat, and when it is hot, cook the bratwurst. They will take around 12-15 minutes, flip to ensure that you get a nice even colour on the sausages.
- Slice the bratwurst into 25-35mm (1-1½") pieces then add a slathering of the sauce followed by a sprinkling of the curry salt and the spring onions
thomas rosser
Tuesday 28th of February 2023
thanks for your recipes good to see good english ones .on this curry sauce could i use brown sauce instaid of tomato [ daddies] just a thought regards tom
tom
Sunday 12th of March 2023
@Brian Jones, many thanks for your reply i will try it regards tom
Brian Jones
Monday 6th of March 2023
You could although it may all end up being a bit tamarind rich, HP fruity may be a better option.
All the best.
Brian