Sticky Rice Balls

I've been inspired by hearing about fun food creations that others are sharing on the internet, so I've decided to start displaying some of my own.  I might switch this over to a separate blog, at some point, but we'll see if i continue to do it.  

These are some sticky rice balls with a spicy orange dipping sauce I made for a potluck last week.  In the middle they contain julienned carrots and apples, and I sprinkled them with sesame seeds.  The sauce is made from orange juice, a hot chili sesame oil and rice wine vinegar.  Then I spiced it up with some cayenne pepper, cumin, and red chili flakes, and thickened with cornstarch.  I also made an alternate dipping sauce based on soy sauce with other spices.  

They were a big hit, but a bit of work to make.  The first plate full i made didn't turn out too pretty, then i figured out if i kept my hands really wet, the sticky rice wouldn't stick to my hands, and it would stick better to itself.  If i make it again, I might try different veggies for a filling, and I'll toast the sesame seeds.  And maybe cook the rice in a broth of some sort, to give it more flavor.