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Vegan Seitan-based Currywurst is our next stop from #streetsfoodchallendge!
The traditional German street food known as "currywurst" provides such a case, allowing outside observers an opportunity to taste something unique, indulge in a little post-war history, and discover how the universal need for food can bind individuals and groups together.
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.
An odd and unforeseen match, currywurst became an overnight success and eventually a staple, mainly amongst construction workers who valued its high protein content, hint of exotic flavor, and low cost.
At first it maintained this function as a substitute for a poor man's steak, but soon it extended beyond the proletarian palate and became a popular meal amongst Berliners of all social apparati.
This simple street food, with origins stemming from a combination of post-war hunger, resourcefulness, and openness to new flavors, may seem like a culinary contradiction in a city like Berlin, with its large sprawl of bio and organic markets and its renewed interest in supporting local agriculture.
(Berlin is one of the greenest cities in Europe, and Germany as a whole has one of the highest followings for the international movement known as "Slow Food.")
However, its simplicity, accessibility, low cost, and large following of movie stars, businessmen, and high-profile politicians, including Chancellor Angela Merkel, Gerhard Schröder and Berlin mayor Klaus Wowereit, reflects Berlin's egalitarian attitude towards food.
Although it rivals New York City hot dog stands and carries the qualities of fast food, currywurst has managed to escape mass-manufacturing.
There is no McCurrywurst, nor is each stand the same.
The difference in taste is particularly evident whether you're in East or West Berlin. During the lifetime of the Berlin Wall, the East had no access to the casing for the sausage, and, therefore, the currywurst in the East tended to be softer than its Western counterpart. Today, it remains the same.
At its core, currywurst is a simple street food - something you can eat while standing up, on-the-go, or late at night after a few too many beers.
However, its gastronomical growth remains its best ingredient, providing a window into Berlin's post-war mentality. Its ability to move beyond a terrible past, to embrace new flavors and make them its own, reflects a food culture that is both traditional and still evolving. *source
And now it's time to jump straight to the recipe!
Prep: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h 20 min
Level: medium
Servings: 8 servings
Calories per serving: 392 kcal
Find the recipe & nutrition facts below :
For the sausages(wursts):
1 large onion (fried)
2 cloves of garlic (fried)
1 1/4 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup chickpeas (canned)
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp soy sauce (dark)
1/2 tsp chili flakes
1 tsp chili paste
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp garlic
1 tsp savory
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp hot curry
2 cups vital wheat gluten
1/2 cup chickpea flour
For the curry sauce:
2 large onions
2 cloves garlic
3 tbsp oil
2 tbsp hot curry
2 tbsp smoked paprika
1 can of chopped tomatoes (400 gr. )
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
Method:
Step 1: In a food processor or blender add in the fried onion and garlic, vegetable stock, chickpeas, tomato paste, soy sauce, and spices and blend until smooth.
Step 2: In a large bowl mix together the wheat gluten and chickpea flour and transfer the spice mix into the bowl. Mix together and knead for around 7-10 minutes (the harder you knead the better structure they will have). Let it rest for 15 minutes.
Step 3: Cut 8 pieces of aluminum foil and divide the dough into 8 equal parts. Form a sausage and cover with foil twisting the edges. Repeat with the remaining parts. Cover with cling film each of the sausages.
Step 4: In a large cooking pan place the sausages and cover them with water. Cook for around 50 minutes.
Step 5: Meanwhile let's make the curry sauce. Fry the onions with garlic in oil for 5-7 minutes(or until golden), then add the smoked paprika and hot curry, stir for a minute. Add chopped tomatoes, sugar, and vinegar, season with some salt and black pepper. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Blend with a hand blender until smooth.
Step 6: Remove the foils from the sausages and fry for around 5-7 minutes.
Step 7: Serve sliced sausages with curry sauce with a bun n the side for a classic approach or place the sauce and the sausage in the bun and sprinkle with some fried onions.
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