Appam also refers to another South Indian sweet dish, which owes its origins to Tamil Nadu. This is made with flour, jaggery, clarified butter — ghee — and bananas. A batter made out of flour, jaggery and banana is poured into a vessel called appakarai, which has ghee heated to a high temperature. The appams take the shape of small cups, and are fried until deep brown. Appams are a festive sweet, made on Gokulashtami - the birthday of Hindu deity, Krishna.