How to make perfect tempura at home

DEEP-fried foods coated in crispy batter are enjoyed all over the world, but perhaps nowhere are they more revered than in Japan, where tempura chefs spend years mastering their craft. However, cooking battered food at home isn’t as challenging as it sounds, and a bit of science can help you get beautifully crisp results.

Let’s start with what goes in the batter. Gluten, which forms when proteins in flour are exposed to water, helps to give the batter structure, but too much can make it tough. For a light tempura batter, it is important to keep gluten to a …