Buckwheat & Chickpea Pesto Salad - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 cups water
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup buckwheat groats, rinsed
10 mint leaves
10 basil leaves
1/4 cup raw cashews
1 1/2 cups cooked black chickpeas or regular chickpeas
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, or more as needed
2 Thai chiles, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation

Bring the water to boil in a medium saucepan. Add the salt and rinsed buckwheat groats. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until the groats have almost tripled in size, about 12 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes.
Lightly pound mint leaves, basil leaves, and raw cashews with a pestle in a mortar until they begin to release their own oils. Churn the pestle to create a chunky paste. Add a bit of oil if necessary. The texture should be chunky, not too smooth.
Fluff the groats with a fork. Drain off any excess water. Transfer the buckwheat to a large salad bowl. Add the chickpeas and drizzle with a bit of oil, mixing well. Add pesto and mix well, drizzling more oil if necessary. Add the chiles and coriander. Mix well. Serve warm or cold. Best served with ice-cold milk.