Blanch it a couple of minutes in boiling water, until it turns bright green. You can make it less bitter by salting the halves and letting stand before rinsing and squeezing dry. Bitter melon looks like nothing else, but Chinese broccoli, gai lan, is a cruciferous vegetable that can be substituted in any recipe for the American kind. With slender white stems, small buds and leaves, it can be stir-fried if you blanch the stems first. Use Chinese broccoli for the authentic taste when you stir-fry Beef and Broccoli.
Chinese eggplant is more slender than the Italian kind, with fewer seeds.
Peel or not, as you choose. Break off the tips, but you don't have to string them. Slice long beans into manageable lengths, blanch them briefly and toss them with sesame oil or use just as you would a green bean. Andy Ta suggests stir-frying long beans with shrimp, garlic and bacon. Or braid them for a garnish, suggests Rosa Lo San Ross in Beyond Bok Choy, an excellent guide to Asian veggies.