Take the ponnanganni leaves from the stem and wash it twice to completely get rid of the muds. Then chop the leaves roughly and keep aside. Pressure cook moong dal with little water for three whistles and mash it well. Set aside.

Grind coconut, green chillies, cumin seeds and raw rice with little water to a fine paste and keep it ready. Heat a tadka pan with ghee and add thalipu vadagam or mustard seeds. Fry for a minute and then add small onions and saute till golden brown. Now add tomatoes and fry them until they turn soft and mushy. Switch off the flame and set aside.

Add one cup of water to the washed ponnanganni leaves and boil it in a heavy bottomed vessel until it gets cooked well. Add salt while boiling. Once the greens got cooked well add moong dal along with sambar powder.

Mix everything together and boil the kootu in low flame for five minutes. Then add the tempered ingredients from the tadka pan and mix well. Boil it again for five more minutes in low to medium flame. Now add the coconut paste to the boiling kootu.

Mix it well and boil the kootu for  three minutes and switch off the flame once everything comes together. Don't boil the kootu much after coconut paste is added.