Vegetables are an integral part of any Asian cuisine and are extensively used with noodles and rice as the side accompaniment. They are steam cooked to retain the flavors and are spiced with the several other condiments and sauces for an enriched taste. Most of the cuisines rely heavily on vegetables, such as the soups and thick gravies. A lot of vegetables are used to make stock, which in turn adds to the flavor of the dish. Some of the vegetables that are most often used in Asian cuisine are the spring onions, mushrooms, Choy, mung beans and the white radish.

Spring onions - It is also known as the scallions and are long stemmed leafy vegetables. They are quite similar in flavor to the usual big onions, although on being added to any Asian cuisine, it gets milder and pale in color. In general, spring onions or scallions are added with noodles and soups to get a mild and subtle flavor.

Shitake Mushrooms - These mushrooms are widely used in many Japanese cuisines and have a more sublimed flavor. It looks just like the common white button mushroom but differs in taste. They are also known as the Japanese mushrooms and are available in any Asian supermarket. The Shitake mushrooms are best to be added to thicken soups and give out an earthy flavor.

Bok Choy - It is a green leafy vegetable and is much like the lettuce. Bok Choy is locally grown in China and is one of the common vegetables to be found in the many Asian cuisines. The flavor is light and adds crispiness to the dish. It is best to make salads with mushrooms and other vegetables. They are also served with rice along with soupy noodles and are good for health as well.

Mung beans - They are small sized white colored beans that are added to any dish for a rich flavor. It is usually added towards the end of the dish, so as to retain its crunchiness and color. They give out a mild flavor and on being mixed with spices and taste better with rice and noodles. It can also be added to soups and used for making salads as well.

Daikon - White radish or Daikon is a type of carrot and is mostly used in Chinese cooking. It can be found in salads, soups and fried rice as well. Daikon is cut into thin strips or finely shredded to add a better texture to the dish. It is subtle in flavor and usually absorbs the spices and herbs that are added to the dish. The radish should not be overcooked as otherwise it would lose its crisp nature and tend to be soggy.

Besides these vegetables, other locally grown herbs and spices are added to enhance the flavor of the dish. In Asian cooking, you can find vegetables to be of a larger share and they are stir fried, steam cooked and added to soups to develop an intricate flavor. Asian food is healthy to be eaten by any age group and they are quite a temptation that you cannot simply resist!