- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total time
- 50 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- EASY
- Calories
- 370 kcal
Quick summary
“Currywurst is Berlin's most famous street food, combining sliced golden sausages covered in a thick homemade sauce of peeled tomatoes, spices, and spicy curry. It is worth making for the speed of preparation and the sweet and sour and spiced mixture that transforms the common sausage.”
What you need to know
- Fry the sausages whole in the skillet with oil until they are golden and have a crispy skin before preparing the sauce.
- Sauté the onion and reduce the crushed peeled tomatoes for 10 minutes to obtain a concentrated consistency.
- Mix the curry paste and sugar into the sauce to balance the acidity of the tomato with the heat of the spices.
Ingredients
Main
- 4 sausages (of your choice)
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 can of peeled tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons of curry paste
- 1 teaspoon of sugar
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Green onions for garnish
Instructions
Principal
- Heat the oil in a skillet. Add the sausages and fry until golden.
- Remove the sausages and set aside. In the same skillet, sauté the onion until soft.
- Add the can of peeled tomatoes, crushing them slightly. Let it cook for 5 minutes.
- Stir the curry paste and sugar into the tomato mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Let the sauce cook for another 10 minutes over low heat, until it reduces a little.
- Return the sausages to the sauce and cook for another 5 minutes, ensuring they are well covered with the sauce.
- Turn off the heat and serve immediately, garnished with fresh herbs.
Chef's tips
- Cut the sausages into thick diagonal slices only when ready to cover with the hot sauce to maintain internal heat.
- Sprinkle extra curry powder over the sauce assembled on the plate to reinforce the aroma and provide the traditional German look.
- Use good-quality whole peeled tomatoes, blended or finely chopped, to give the sauce a velvety texture.
Variations
- Spicy Currywurst: add half a teaspoon of cayenne pepper powder or tabasco sauce to the tomato sauce.
- Sauce with a fruity touch: add 2 tablespoons of unsweetened applesauce to the tomato sauce for German sweetness.
- Version with artisanal sausage: replace the sausages with fresh, cooked, and sliced calabresa sausage on the grill.
Substitutions
- Common sausages: use authentic German sausages like bockwurst, pork bratwurst, or Frankfurt sausage.
- Curry paste: use 1 full tablespoon of common Indian curry powder mixed with half a tablespoon of sweet paprika.
- Regular sugar: substitute with brown sugar or cane molasses to intensify caramelized notes.
How to store
Keep the sausages and sauce in a glass container with a lid in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat the sauce with the sausages in the pan over low heat with a spoonful of water.
Can it be frozen?
Prepared curry sauce can be frozen for up to 90 days in an airtight container. We do not recommend freezing the sliced sausages in the sauce, as the texture of the sausage may become spongy upon thawing.
What to serve with
Serve traditionally in deep plates accompanied by crispy french fries with mayonnaise or fresh french rolls to dip in the sauce. Cold German lager or pilsner beer is the perfect pair.
Frequently asked questions
Should the sauce be sweet or spicy?
The authentic sauce is balanced: has the acidity of tomato, the mild sweetness of sugar, and the aromatic heat of Indian curry.
Which type of sausage is the most suitable?
German white or smoked sausages with natural casing ensure the best texture, but hot-dog style sausages can also be used.
How did currywurst originate in Germany?
It was created in Berlin in 1949 by Herta Heuwer, who obtained curry powder and ketchup from British soldiers and mixed it with grilled sausages.
Can I use ready-made ketchup instead of peeled tomatoes?
Some versions use ketchup heated with curry, but reduced canned tomatoes offer a much richer and tastier sauce.
