Homemade Currywurst Recipe with Curry Ketchup (2024)

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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 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 is 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 vary greatly by region in Germany and are 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 “new found” 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 hotdogs. Speaking of hotdogs, 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.

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 hotdog 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. If you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.

  • Stovetop.
  • 24-28cm or 8-11″ frying pan.
  • 15cm or 6″ saucepan.
  • Sharp kitchen knife.
  • Chopping board.
  • Measuring Spoons.
Homemade Currywurst Recipe with Curry Ketchup (5)

Yield: 2 Servings

Homemade Currywurst Recipe

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Currywurst or curry wurst is the classic German street food with its heart in Berlin, it is a recipe that is gloriously quick and simple to make at home and that includes the delicious curry ketchup.

Ingredients

  • 400g Bratwurst Sausages
  • 1 Tbsp Cooking Oil
  • 2 Spring Onions
  • ¼ Tsp Coarse Sea Salt
  • Pinch Curry Powder

For the Curry Ketchup:

  • 6 Tbsp Tomato Ketchup
  • 2 Tsp Medium Curry Powder
  • 1½ Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
  • 3 Tbsp Apple Juice
  • 1 Tsp English (or German) Mustard
  • ½ Tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

Instructions

  1. 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 te ensure that you get a nice even colour on the sausages.
  2. Whilst the Bratwurst are cooking 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Finely slice the spring onions.
  5. Mix the salt with the pinch of curry powder and set aside.
  6. 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

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

2

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving:Calories: 890Total Fat: 75gSaturated Fat: 24gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 46gCholesterol: 169mgSodium: 2686mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 1gSugar: 10gProtein: 32g

Calorific details are provided by a third-party application and are to be used as indicative figures only.

Did you make this recipe?

If you made this recipe, I'd love to see what you did and what I can do better, share a picture with me on Instagram and tag me @krumplibrian and tell me how it went!

Homemade Currywurst Recipe with Curry Ketchup (2024)

FAQs

What kind of curry is used in currywurst? ›

And yet, currywurst — sliced sausage topped with a tomato sauce flavoured by spices including yellow curry powder, paprika and potentially a few secret ingredients too — has been a German favourite for over half a century. It can be eaten at almost any time of day, and at any level of intoxication.

What do you do with curry ketchup? ›

It is typically served on prepared meats such as frikandel, or on French fries. In Germany, it is the basis of the dish currywurst, one of the most popular in the country. Typically with currywurst, additional curry powder is sprinkled on top of the curry ketchup.

What is curry Gewurz ketchup? ›

Hela Curry Gewurz Extra Hot Ketchup is a unique recipe of tomatoes and selected spices such as pepper, chili, and paprika. Perfect for any kind of meat or sausages, and more give this ketchup a slight pour. Best before, but not expired: 11/30/2024.

Why is curry ketchup popular in Germany? ›

The currywurst's origins are attributed specifically to the German capital. In 1949, a resourceful German housewife, Herta Heuwer, traded some spirits with British soldiers for ketchup. The trade created the dish - composed of German sausage, or wurst, sliced and doused in ketchup and sprinkled with curry powder.

What are the three types of curry? ›

From phal curry based in the UK to madras curry originating from Madras, there are many curry dishes throughout the world with a history as flavorful as the meal itself. Though there are many dishes, curry itself can typically be broken down into three types: red, green, and yellow.

What is the spice in curry? ›

Some also define a number of expected ingredients. In the United States, curry powder is expected to contain at least these ingredients: turmeric, coriander, fenugreek, cinnamon, cumin, black pepper, ginger, and cardamom. The 1999 East African Standard (EAS 98:1999) does not define an ingredient baseline.

Do you have to refrigerate curry ketchup? ›

A lot of condiments like bottled ketchup and mustard are shelf stable for longer than most people would take to use them. Eventually they will degrade in quality enough that you might want to replace it. Refrigeration is recomended to maintain their quality but that is usually the only reason.

Does curry ketchup have curry in it? ›

Tomato Purée (Water, Tomato Paste), Sugar, Onion, Distilled Vinegar, Raisin, Sun Dried Tomato, Salt, Vadouvan Curry Powder (Spices, Salt, Turmeric, Onion, Garlic, Sugar, Natural Smoke), Spices, Ground Mustard Seed, Citric Acid.

What is curry ketchup made of? ›

Ingredients: 1 cup of Tomato Ketchup. 4 teaspoons of Curry Powder. 2 teaspoons of Sweet Paprika.

What is the difference between curry and Madras curry? ›

Madras curry always has a hot, citrusy, spicy and even herbaceous flavor. Unlike most curries, Madras doesn't rely on warm brown spices, such as cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and anise. Every family in India has its own Madras curry recipe, and even store-bought versions vary a lot.

What kind of curry is Thai curry? ›

There are three main types of Thai curries—red, yellow, and green—which are categorized by the color of the curry paste. The color of the chilies and other ingredients gives each curry its distinct hue. Traditionally, all Thai curries were made with the same ingredients except for one thing: the chilies.

What is the difference between Thai curry and regular curry? ›

Thai curries have a brighter flavor and soupier consistency, because they use lots of fresh herbs and are cooked for less time than Indian curries. It's worth your time stocking up on some of the unique ingredients — you can freeze herbs like lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves for multiple future uses.

Is Madras curry red curry? ›

A madras curry is a fairly hot curry with a dark red thick sauce (the colour comes from the chillies and paprika).

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