What do you do if they refuse to try something?

[QueenOfAllBiscuitsandMuffins]

I have just served DS(3) jalfrezi, his 10 month old sister is gobbling it up so it's not exactly hot and spicy. DS (who is usually a good eater) is refusing to eat it. Now if he had TRIED IT and said he didn't like it then I would offer toast as an alternative however he hasn't even tried it, just looked at and thrown a grump. Do I shrug and throw it in the bin(aka I eat it) and give him toast, do I say he can have toast but only if he tries the jalfrezi (which was the rule when I was growing up). I don't know which path to take.

If they won't even try it without good reason then I'd just leave it on the table in case they change their mind once they realize there's no alternative .

If he usually tries new things then give him a break, maybe he doesn't like the smell? Would he try a bit of the chicken if you sucked the sauce off for him? My general underlying rule/principle is not to make food into a battleground, but I wouldn't be running around making a whole new meal either. Toast and maybe some eggs, cheese or beans if you know he needs to eat before bed (if DS doesn't eat enough he usually wakes in the night)

Thanks for the replies, I filled up a teaspoon and said if he ate that and still didn't like it he could have toast, which he did.

lechatnoir if he had had this before and liked it then that is what I would have done but at this age they are still trying things for the first time so I think it's ok not to like something it was just the not trying thing I objected to.

I just leave it out for him to try and make lots of mmmmm noises about my own food lol, he usually tries it after a few minutes and usually gobbles it all up after that. The only thing he's refused to even taste is cous cous for some reason.

If he's having a new food I try to keep parts separate eg rice next to curry so at least I know he'll eat some if it ( although curry us a rubbish example in our case as it's his all time favourite food!)

DD (just 4) does this all the time. (She's stubborn like her Mum.)
As Olibean says keep things separate, encourage, but don't push too much.

DD will usually decide after a few minutes to try things if we just say "okay, fair enough, but eat the rest."
Last week DH had mussels at a cafe. She asked what they were and we told her and explained they were the things we'd seen on the beach earlier.
We got the usual "I don't like them." We just said fair enough and DH carried on eating.
5 minutes later DD asked to try one, and then ended up wolfing down a fair portion of DH's tea.... and has asked for them to eat again since.

We also find she's more likely to try things when she's not really hungry.

Bribery also works. DD usually has a treat (an ice lolly) after tea. If she won't try something which we know she'd like, or barely eats her tea she doesn't get her treat.