Sliced grilled sausage smothered in a curry-spiced tomato sauce, Berlin's favorite street food.
Currywurst is Berlin's iconic street food, grilled or fried pork sausage sliced into bite-size pieces and doused in a ketchup-based sauce dusted with curry powder, invented by Herta Heuwer in 1949 when she got her hands on curry powder and Worcestershire sauce from British soldiers stationed in Berlin. The dish remains one of the most-eaten fast foods in Germany, sold at street stalls (Currywurst Buden) across the country. The sauce is really the whole point: a tomato base built with a good amount of cumin alongside the curry powder, simmered until it thickens slightly and the spices bloom. Getting the sausage right matters too, it should be well-charred on the outside from the grill before slicing, so the smoky char plays against the sweet-spiced sauce. Served simply with fries or a bread roll on the side and a heavy dusting of extra curry powder on top, currywurst is casual, fast, and unmistakably Berlin.
Serves 4
In a saucepan, combine ketchup, crushed tomatoes, half the curry powder, cumin, Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar. Simmer over low heat 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Heat oil in a grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Cook sausages, turning, until well-charred and cooked through, about 12-15 minutes.
Let sausages rest 2 minutes, then slice into bite-size rounds on a diagonal.
Arrange sliced sausage on plates and spoon the warm curry-tomato sauce generously over the top.
Dust with the remaining curry powder. Serve immediately with fries or a bread roll on the side.
Char the sausages well on the grill before slicing; the smoky exterior is what makes currywurst distinct from a plain sausage in sauce.
Simmer the sauce until it thickens slightly so it clings to the sausage slices rather than pooling thinly on the plate.
Use a good-quality curry powder and dust extra on top just before serving for the strongest aroma and flavor.
Use a mix of sweet and smoked paprika alongside the curry powder for a deeper, smokier sauce.
Make a vegetarian version with plant-based sausages, keeping the same sauce.
Serve chopped over fries (Currywurst Pommes) for the classic street-stall combo.
Refrigerate the sauce separately from the sausage up to 4 days. Reheat the sauce on the stove and grill or pan-fry fresh sausage rather than reheating already-sliced sausage, which dries out.
Currywurst was invented in Berlin in 1949 by Herta Heuwer, who mixed ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and curry powder she obtained from British soldiers into a sauce for grilled sausage. It quickly became one of Germany's most popular street foods and remains closely associated with Berlin's food culture today.
Bratwurst is the most common choice, though some vendors use bockwurst; the key is a well-charred, snappy-skinned sausage that can be sliced into rounds.
Yes, the sauce keeps well refrigerated for several days and the flavor actually deepens overnight, making it convenient to prep ahead.
It likely needs more curry powder or a touch more Worcestershire sauce; taste as you simmer and adjust, since brands of curry powder vary significantly in strength.
Per serving (320g / 11.3 oz) · 4 servings total
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