It's so easy to fall into cooking habits and stick with a few old favourites that always work. Giving children only the foods that you are sure they will eat can encourage extreme fussiness and may lead to a restricted diet. Getting used to new textures, colours and smells in food will help your child feel eager rather than anxious about eating on holiday or at friends' houses. And introducing favourite cuisines such as Indian, Chinese and Thai at home means your family can enjoy what the world has to offer with no airport queues, no plane delays and no hassle.

World cuisine is about more than cooking. Turn an everyday family dinner into a Chinese banquet by serving food in little bowls and help your child to give chopsticks a try. Either use special kids' ones that are joined at the top, or fold a piece of paper into a small square and use an elastic band to secure it at the top to make regular chopsticks into pincers - much easier for little hands.

This is a favourite with my family. Quick and simple to make but with a mild, fruity curry flavour. It's great served with poppadums and fluffy white rice .

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