Empty tub Masai members adapted to hold rice (7)

I believe the answer is:

basmati

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'rice' is the definition.
(I know that basmati is a type of long grain rice)

'empty tub masai members' is the wordplay.
'empty' suggests removing the centre.
'members' indicates anagramming the letters (members or parts of the anagram in a different way).
'tub' with its middle taken out is 'tb'.
'tb'+'masai'='tbmasai'
'tbmasai' is an anagram of 'BASMATI'.

'adapted to hold' is the link.
I am not very happy about this link. Some or all of it may belong to another bit of the clue.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for basmati that I've seen before include "Type of Indian rice" , "Superior fragrant rice" , "Kind of long-grained rice" , "Kind of Indian rice" , "Fragrant type of rice" .)

I've seen this clue in The Irish Times.

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