Currywurst Sauce

November 18, 2023

Currywurst Sauce - kvalifood.com

The sauce for currywurst – Berlin’s signature street food since 1949. It is ketchup-based, spiced with curry powder and smoked paprika, and served warm over sliced bratwurst with an extra dusting of curry powder on top. Not complicated, but the balance of sweet, tangy, and spiced matters.

Makes ca. 300 ml

Ingredients

240 g tomato ketchup
4 tsp mild curry powder, plus extra for dusting
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp white wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
2 tsp brown sugar (or honey)
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, to taste
45-60 ml water (or beef/vegetable broth)
1 pinch ground cloves (optional)

Directions

Combine the ketchup, curry powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, cayenne, and cloves (if using) in a small saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat.
Add the Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, sugar, and water or broth. Stir to combine.
Bring to a gentle simmer and cook 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the flavors have melded and the sauce reaches the desired consistency. Add more water if too thick.
Taste and adjust: more curry powder for stronger flavor, more cayenne for heat, a pinch of sugar if too acidic.
Serve warm over sliced bratwurst. Dust generously with extra curry powder on top.

Notes

The sauce improves with time. Make it a few hours ahead or the day before if possible.
Smoked paprika is preferred over regular – it adds depth that suits the street food character.
Keep the sweetener restrained. Ketchup already contains sugar.
For a from-scratch version, replace ketchup with 400 g canned crushed tomatoes + 2 tbsp tomato paste + 120 ml stock. Saute a diced onion and garlic clove first, simmer 15 minutes, and blend smooth.
A pinch of ground cloves or a cinnamon stick during simmering adds a warm background note found in some German versions.
Stores well in the fridge for up to a week.