Saute garlic and onion in oil until garlic is light golden brown and onion is translucent. Set aside.
Using the same pan earlier, cook beef for about 30-45 minutes or until tender. Push beef to the side of the pan and add sliced eggplants. Fry for about 5 minutes.
Add cooked garlic and onion, pour in 3 cups water (if using annatto seeds, replace 1 cup of water used to doak seeds in) and dissolved cornstarch and bring to a boil. Add ground peanuts/peanut butter, fish sauce, salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for about 10-15 minutes until sauce thickens.
Add yardlong beans and bok choy/pechay and simmer for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Note: Some prefer to blanch their veggies in hot water to cook separately from the meat and sauce to retain crispiness of vegetables.
Serve over steamed rice and a little bit of bagoong/shrimp paste on the side.
