Prathaman is a sweet dish in the form of a thick liquid; similar to payasam, but with more variety in terms of ingredients and more elaborately made. It is made with jaggery to which coconut milk is added. The main difference between a prathaman and a payasam is that the former uses coconut milk, while the liquid versions of the latter use cow's milk.
Kadala Parippu Payasam is our all time favorite. It is a thick, rich kheer prepared by cooking boiled bengal gram dhal in coconut milk and jaggery. It is also known as Kadala Parippu Pradhaman. It's one of the sweet dishes prepared mostly in Kerala during Onam and other festivals. In weddings also, paruppu payasam is served along with ada pradhaman and semiya payasam.