Trim ends off eggplant, with a vegetable peeler or paring knife. Pare off alternating strips of skin so that the eggplant appears striped. Cut the eggplant into 1-inch cubes. Sprinkle with salt and toss well.

In a 10-inch sauté pan, warm water over medium-high heat. Add eggplant and sauté 1 minute. Add the garlic and sauté 30 seconds. Reduce heat to low and cover pan; sweat eggplant for 10 minutes until soft. Stir in cumin, paprika, and cilantro, and sauté until mixture smells fragrant, about 10 seconds. Stir in the tomatoes and bring to a boil.

Turn heat to medium-low and sauté until mixture is thickened and some eggplant is smooth and some chunky, about 7 minutes. Turn off heat and let mixture sit for 5 to 10 minutes before serving to settle the flavours.

Serve and enjoy!