What cooking method is used after tempura ingredients are battered?

After tempura ingredients are battered, they are deep-fried.

The battered seafood or vegetables are placed briefly into hot oil, where the thin coating sets and becomes crisp while the interior cooks quickly. Vegetable oil and canola oil are common choices today, although sesame oil and tea-seed oil are also used in some specialist kitchens. Temperature and timing matter because overcooking can darken the delicate batter and dry the ingredient.

Tempura is generally fried in small batches. Cooks remove loose batter fragments, called tenkasu, between batches so they do not burn and spoil the oil’s flavor. The finished pieces are usually pale, light, and crunchy rather than heavily browned.

Deep-frying distinguishes tempura from dishes in which battered foods are steamed, grilled, poached, or baked. It also explains why tempura is usually eaten soon after cooking. In Japan, the fried pieces may be dipped in tentsuyu, seasoned with salt, or placed over rice, soba, or udon soup.