Peanut Barfi (Shengdana Vadi)

Nov 7, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Dessert Candy confections Medium

Peanut barfi is a firm, melt-away Indian sweet of freshly roasted, ground peanuts cooked in a one-string sugar syrup with a little ghee and cardamom. Roasting the peanuts yourself gives it a deep toasted flavor that sets it apart from milk-based barfis. Makes 16 pieces in about 2 hr 5 min.

Prep 25 min

Cook 25 min

Cooling 1 hr 15 min

Total 2 hr 5 min

Yield 16 pieces

Diet Gluten free

Ingredients

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pieces

2 cups (250 g)raw peanuts, shelled
¾ cup (150 g)sugar
¼ cup (60 ml)water
½ tsp (1 g)ground cardamom
½ oz (15 g)ghee, plus a little for the pan

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Instructions

Grease a 7-inch (18 cm) square pan and a knife with a little ghee.
Dry-roast the raw peanuts in a heavy pan over medium-low heat, stirring often, until crunchy, fragrant and the skins blister and crack, 10 to 12 minutes.
Spread them on a plate to cool, about 15 minutes, then rub off the skins between your palms and blow or sift them away.
Grind the peanuts in a grinder in short pulses to a fine, dry powder. Stop before they turn oily or pasty.
In a wide pan, heat the sugar and water over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Boil without stirring to one-string stage, 220 to 222°F (104 to 105°C), 4 to 6 minutes: a drop pressed between finger and thumb (once cooled) pulls into a single thread.
Lower the heat, add the peanut powder and ground cardamom and stir constantly until the mixture thickens, turns glossy and starts to leave the sides of the pan, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the ghee for 1 minute more.
Turn it into the greased pan at once and press it level with an oiled flat-bottomed cup, about 1 cm (1/2 inch) thick.
After 10 minutes, while still warm, score it into 16 squares or diamonds. Let it cool completely, about 1 hour, then cut through and separate.

Tips

Syrup stage matters: too thin and the barfi will not set; cooked past one string it turns hard and crumbly.
If the mixture crumbles while you press it, sprinkle 1 to 2 tsp hot water over it and stir on low heat for 30 seconds.
Roasted unsalted peanuts from a shop work too; warm them for 2 minutes in a dry pan before grinding.
Cook the sugar syrup to one-string stage, 220 to 222°F (104 to 105°C) on a candy thermometer; hot syrup causes serious burns, so stir with a long-handled spoon and keep children away.

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Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make peanut barfi (shengdana vadi)?

Plan on 25 minutes of prep and 25 minutes of cooking, plus 1 hour 15 minutes to rest. The recipe makes 16 pieces.

How should I store peanut barfi (shengdana vadi)?

Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week, or refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

Can I make peanut barfi (shengdana vadi) ahead?

It is at its best the day it is made; prepare it a few hours before serving.

Known as shengdana vadi in Maharashtra and sing pak in Gujarat, it is made from roasted peanut powder bound in a one-string sugar syrup and is a favorite during Navratri and other fasting days. Serve it with masala chai.

Variations

Jaggery version: replace the sugar with 170 g (1 cup) grated jaggery, dissolve it in the water, strain out any grit and boil to one string; cook time unchanged.
Rose and pistachio: add 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) rose water with the ghee and press 20 g (2 tbsp) chopped pistachios onto the top before scoring.
Saffron and almond: soak a pinch of saffron in the syrup water and replace 50 g (1/3 cup) of the peanuts with blanched almonds, ground with them.
Orange and cardamom: add 1 tsp (2 g) finely grated orange zest with the cardamom; cook time unchanged.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 16 servings this recipe makes.

125 Calories / serving

7.7g Fat

11.9g Carbs

4.1g Protein

10.0g Sugar

Whole recipe (16 servings): ~2000 cal · 123g fat · 190g carbs · 66g protein · 160g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.

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