Asam fish is fish cooked in the juice of the asam (tamarind) fruit. The cooking process involves soaking the pulp of the fruit until it is soft and then squeezing out the juice for cooking the fish. Asam paste may be substituted for convenience. Various vegetables such as brinjals (Indian eggplants), okra and tomatoes are added. Fish (such as mackerel or red snapper) or fish heads are also added to make a spicy and tart fish stew. It is important that the fish remain intact for serving so generally the fish is added last.