Chana dal is a popular ingredient in Indian cuisine that is made from baby chickpeas that have been split and polished. It looks and tastes like small kernels of sweet corn, and is delicious, nutritious and easily digested. Chana dal is also known as arhar dal in northern India, and is produced by removing the outer layer of black chickpeas and then splitting the kernel. It can be done at home by soaking the whole chickpeas and removing the loose skins by rubbing.