Chana dal is the split, skinned seed of the desi chickpea (Cicer arietinum) — the small, dark, angular chickpea of the Indian subcontinent, not the large pale kabuli of hummus. The thick brown seed coat is milled away and the kernel cracked in two along its seam, leaving small, hard, matte-yellow half-discs that cook into a nutty, faintly sweet dal which holds its shape better than most pulses, roasts into a crunchy snack, and is ground into a finer, nuttier besan than whole chickpea.